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Essay On Lobster

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To fully understand the technological and social developments associated with Maine’s lobstering industry, it is first essential to understand the anatomy of the lobster. Scientifically classified as Homarus americanus, the Maine lobster is a crustacean native to the rocky coastal waters of Maine which is the most northern state on the east coast of the United States of America. While many types of aquatic creatures consume baby lobsters, humans are the main predators of fully developed lobsters. Lobsters are bilaterally symmetrical and self-regeneration. Their biology is relatively simple and the nervous system is not developed enough for lobster to feel pain. The body consists of 14 fused segments and each lobster has 10 legs - 8 walking …show more content…

This occurs when they shed their shells allowing for new growth to occur. The molting process is temperature dependent and typically begins when the average water temperature reaches ca. 20℃. It typically takes one month for a lobster’s shell to harden after molting. A female does not reach sexual maturity until approximately the age of six or seven when they have molted an average of twenty-five times. Once a lobster reaches sexual maturity, males generally molt annually and females molt bi-annually, although the frequency of molting decreases as lobsters advance in …show more content…

A lobster’s roe is typically referred to as coral due to its bright red color and is carried on the underside of the lobster’s tail on the swimmerets for an additional year. When waters reach a warmer temperature, the larvae are released. Typically, only 2 in 50,000 larvae will reach the legal size for catch (this will be discussed in Section xx). The larger the female lobster, the more eggs she can lay. For example, a two-pound lobster will lay approximately 8,000 eggs, while a nine-pound lobster can lay approximately 100,000 eggs. However, it should also be noted that the speed at which a female reproduces decrease with size as molting occurs as less frequent

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