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Welcome to Lobster 101
Here the cast will entertain you with some antics and if you are not careful you may
learn something.
 Rocko will cover some of the laws
surrounding Lobsters
 | Minimum Size. Lobsters have to a minimum size before they can be taken
from the ocean. Each state sets it own size limit but they all measure the lobster the
same way. Lobsters can be measured from the just behind the eye to the end of the abdomen.
The measuring gauge must touch the lobsters abdomen. The lobster has to be thrown back if
the gauge goes past the end of the abdomen. Some states also require that a small whole be
placed in the trap to allow small lobsters to escape (The remaining lobsters still have to
be measured). |
| Protecting the Next Generation. Female lobsters carry eggs underneath
their tail. Any female lobster caught carrying eggs has to be thrown back. The female
lobster will drop the eggs once they have matured. |
| Licenses. Each commercial lobsterman needs to have a shellfishing
license issued from the state. The license allows the lobster to drop traps in the ocean.
The license for lobsterman is visible on the buoy the use to mark their traps. The terms
of the license also allows the boat to be boarded at any time by the Department of
Environmental Management (DEM) to inspect the lobsters for size and egg violations.
Non-Commercial lobsterman can also get a license for personal use. this allows them up to
5 lobster traps. |
 Crusher wants to tell you about
his physical strength.
| Bulging Biceps. Crusher has two large claws that he can use to capture
prey. He has a quick slashing pincher claw and large 'crushing' claw. Lobsters will use
the pincher to grab prey and bring it close enough to get a hold of with the crusher. Once
in the crusher there little chance for escape. A lobster can easily snap a pencil or even
a finger once in the grasp of the crusher. Lobsters can be either right or left handed.
Some lobsters have the crushing claw on the right while others have it on the left.
Crusher's large claw is on the left. Does that make him right or left handed?
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| External Skeleton. Lobsters have an external skeleton. This gives them
extra protection from predators and each other. This also means that in order to grow they
must molt. Twice each season the lobster discards his old shell and grows a new one. The
lobster is very vulnerable during this time. His external skeleton takes a couple of weeks
to harden. During the time they will usually hide under a rock and try to stay out of
harms way. |
| Which way am I going? Lobsters use their legs to slowly move forward.
They crawl across the bottom looking for food. But, when they need a quick burst of speed
they are great swimmers. There is only problem with swimming. They have to travel
backwards. They quickly close their tail to propel them throw the water like a jet. This
gives them a good view of what they are running away from but they have no idea where they
are headed. |
 Salty will tell you a little about
his environment
| At home in New England. While salty has been all over the world he is
most comfortable in New England waters. Rock lobsters are cold water creatures. The
lobsters you see in warm water areas like the Caribbean are not rock lobsters. They are
called spiny lobsters. Spiny lobsters do not have the large front claws like their
northern cousins (and they are not very good dancers) |
| In The dark. Lobsters are usually nocturnal. They keep a low profile
during the day and usually hide under a rock. During the night they come out and roam the
ocean floor looking for food. |
 Murky will give you a little
history lesson.
| Poverty Food?? Long ago, lobsters were so plentiful that Native
Americans used them to fertilize their fields and to bait their hooks for fishing. In
colonial times, lobsters were considered "poverty food." They were harvested
from tidal pools and served to children, to prisoners, and to indentured servants, who
exchanged their passage to America for seven years of service to their sponsors. In
Massachusetts, some of the servants finally rebelled. They had it put into their contracts
that they would not be forced to eat lobster more than three times a week. |
| Now A delicacy. During World War II lobster was considered a delicacy,
and consequently was not rationed. Thus lobster meat filled the increasing demand for
protein-rich food. People could afford it because of the boom of the war-time economy.
Although there was a decline in lobster purchases immediately after the war, lobster
consumption rapidly rebounded. In the years between 1950 and 1969, per capita lobster
consumption increased from .585 pounds (live weight) to .999 pounds. At the same time the
cost of lobster outpaced inflation, increasing profits for lobstermen and thereby
encouraging more people to join the industry. GIs were also given an added boost with
money from the GI Bill that funded some of the startup costs.
 | This Lobster History lesson has been provided by Gulf
of Maine Aquarium |
|
 Junior will give you a little
miscellaneous information
| Male or Female? There are a couple of things you can look for to
determine if a lobster is male or female. Female lobsters have wider tails. This comes in
handy for carrying around the enormous amount of eggs. Male lobsters have thinner tails.
They also have spikes on the underside of their tails. Male lobsters also have larger
upper bodies. |
| When is 'in season'? Most restaurants vary the price of lobster from
season to season. This is because lobsters are more common during certain parts of the
year. Lobsters make two migrations each year. In the Newport area, they migrate up
Narraganset bay in July to lay eggs. Lobsters also make a second and smaller migration
during the month of November. During these migrations the lobsters are easily caught.
|
 Need More Info on Lobsters? Ask Jeeves
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