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American Lobster (Homarus americanus) a.k.a. Atlantic Lobster, Bugs
The American Lobster, with its
jointed appendages and exoskeleton instead
of a backbone, is a member of the phylum Arthropoda
- along with all insects.
Homarus americanus can be found in
waters ranging in depth from low tide to about
1300 feet, between Labrador to South Carolina.
Lobsters are bottom dwellers (except during
the larval stage) that spend their lives among
the nooks and crannies of the ocean floor.
Lobsters are secretive and wary critters.
Although many things are known about the life
cycle of the Lobster, much is uncertain about
its ecology.
What is known about Lobsters is that
they:
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are
most active at night. |
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have poor eyesight. |
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primarily use smell and touch to sense
their environment. |
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grow by periodically shedding their
shells (a.k.a molting). |
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have 10 legs, two of which are modified
to form the crusher and cutter claws. |
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are found to be left or right “handed”
equally, depending on which side of
the body the crusher claw is found. |
What is not known about Lobsters is:
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how
to tell exactly how old one is.* |
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how long it takes to
reach harvestable size. |
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how long it takes to
reach reproductive age. |
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where, when and why they
migrate. |
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what are the primary
environmental factors that affect lobster
populations. |
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A female lobster will mate about every two
years, once it reaches reproductive age, which
is thought to be somewhere between 5 to 9
years old. The female can only mate during
the brief time between when she has shed her
shell and before the new shell hardens. Within
a year of mating, the female lobster will
produce about 75,000 eggs, which adhere to
the underside of her tail (see picture
to the right). The eggs will remain protected
by the tail for about another year before
they are released to hatch into larvae, which
go through several free-swimming stages until
finally they sink to the bottom as tiny one-inch
lobsters.
In the early years of a Lobster's life, it
may shed many times. After five years, Lobsters
molt their shells about once a year; large
Lobsters will molt less often. In general
a Lobster will increase in length by 14% and
be 40% heavier after each shedding.
The Lobster fisheries are an important resource
throughout New England states, and is the
only fishery still active on Block Island.
Protecting the resource so that it is a sustainable
fishery is essential. Various regulatory methods
are utilized in different states such as limiting
the number of lobster traps that are allowed
to be fished, or V-notch cutting in the tail
of an egg-bearing female which is released
to keep breeding. In states that have instituted
V-notch cutting, it is illegal to harvest
a V-notched lobster even if it does not currently
have eggs.
Rhode Island has instituted a program of increasing the minimum size of a legally harvested lobster - a "keeper". To be a keeper in 2006, the lobster's carapace, from the eye socket to the beginning of the tail, must be 3 7/16 inches; in 2008 a keeper must be 3 1/2 inches.
Lobsters and their ecology is an interesting
and complicated subject. To learn more about
the details, check out the following resources
which were used in preparing this page:
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Connecting People and Nature