Fun Lobster Facts For Kids

Lobsters can be very interesting animals to read about. Lobsters reside in the various parts of the world's oceans and beaches. They are a well-known species, and within them are various subspecies as well, like the spiny lobster, American lobster, and the clawed lobsters.

Even though the lobster is an expensive crustacean today, they were not always this pricy. Earlier, they were found in abundance, and hence they were cheap. In fact, they were so common that lobsters were even used as bait for fishing, as well as being used as farm food or fertilizer. Those who used lobsters during fishing also ate those lobsters. However, today they are considered a luxury. Keep reading to know fun facts about marine lobsters, Maine lobsters and their crusher claw, lobster meat, smaller lobsters, spiny lobsters, their gastric mill, American lobster (Homarus americanus), rock lobster, lobster trap, lobster head, lobster claw, lobster tail, and more.

For more similar content, check out the king crab and the hermit crab.

What type of animal is a lobster?

The lobster is a marine crustacean that can be found throughout the world and consists of various species.

What class of animal does a lobster belong to?

The lobster belongs to the class of Malacostraca.

How many lobsters are there in the world?

Lobsters are fished extensively, with countless being caught and cooked every year. However, their population remains stable. For instance, an estimated 250 million American lobsters reside in the Gulf of Maine. However, it is difficult to estimate the number of spiny lobsters and other tropical lobsters. It's worth remembering that if a fisherman captures a female lobster with eggs in her belly, it's illegal to hold her. She must be returned to the sea by the fishermen. This is among the countless attempts being taken to ensure a steady increase in the lobster population.

Where does a lobster live?

Lobsters can usually be found in rocky beds and sea gardens.

What is a lobster's habitat?

The North Atlantic Ocean is home to American lobsters. They reside mostly on the sea bed or the bottom of the ocean, hidden among rocks while scratching in the mud and enjoying cold water environments. The Spiny lobster, for example, can be found in humid, tropical waters, including the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Florida coast.

New research reveals that in the winter and spring, American lobsters or Maine lobsters move away from the beach. In the winter, they choose to be in the colder, deeper water. They head to the beach when the weather gets warmer up in the summer and remains mild until early autumn. Most lobsters travel up and down the sand, never sticking in one spot.

Who do lobsters live with?

Lobsters are generally solitary creatures. When protecting their territories from rival lobsters, they become vicious with their claws. In an attempt to force another lobster out from the region, one lobster can use its claw to force it away.

How long does a lobster live?

Lobsters may live up to 50 years in the wild. They are vulnerable to shell rotting and parasites as they grow older. In 2009, the world's oldest lobster was caught that was thought to be 140 years old by scientists.

How do they reproduce?

Lobster breeding usually entails an alpha male bonding with a number of females. Lobster reproduction is distinct in that females must lose their rough exoskeleton before mating, exposing them to predators. Females must reside inside caves populated by males who will defend them during this process. The female's exterior will have grown back after only a couple of weeks, and she will be willing to depart with fertilized eggs. A young female will meet the male at this stage.

In July or August, a female lobster fertilizes her eggs from the sperm that she priorly holds from the male. She holds her eggs for almost ten months on the bottom of her belly. At any given time, a lobster will carry approximately 8,000 eggs. Some female lobsters, on the other hand, can bear up to 100,000 eggs! The female drops the lobster eggs, also regarded as hatchlings, further into the marine environment after ten months. A female lobster reproduces every couple of years. The larvae stay on or above the surface for four to six weeks, eating plankton.

Numerous times throughout these weeks, the larvae shed their old shell, which is called molting, and develop a new one. The larvae are big enough to fall to the sea bottom after losing their fourth new shell. When a young lobster makes it to the ocean floor, it digs a hole in the sand under a rock in the ocean, with its claws, to make its home. The young lobster weighs almost one pound at this stage and will soon develop its adult shell.

What is their conservation status?

Most lobster species are of Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List.

What do lobsters look like?

The American lobster, also known as the Maine lobster, is a greenish-brown pigment. Lobsters come in a variety of shades, but these are exceedingly uncommon. Many lobsters have a brownish color that helps them to mix in with the dirt and water at the ocean's bottom. This allows them to remain concealed from predators. A lobster's body is divided into two parts, each of which is protected by a set of hard shells. The hard claws, antennae, and two small black eyes of the American lobster are all present. The eyes don't play an important role in its nighttime hunting. The tiny sensory hairs on a lobster's ten feet and legs assist in distinguishing its prey. A lobster's antennae can also track prey from a long distance.

How cute are they?

Lobsters are not exactly cute, but they are not gross to look at either. They are brightly colored which may make them good to look at, but their antennas may throw some people off.

How do they communicate?

Lobsters communicate in an odd manner. They squirt urine at each other instead of squeaking sounds or movements. They possess two bladders, one on either side of their heads. They have tiny urine exit nozzles underneath their eyes that they employ to squirt the liquid at each other. The spilled urine includes a chemical message that can convey a variety of information, including basic instructions like aggression, recognition, and attraction.

How big is a lobster?

Lobsters measure around 5.9-20 in (15-50 cm). In comparison to them, giant shrimps are 50 times bigger with an average length that exceeds 500 in.

How fast can a lobster move?

Lobsters travel by creeping cautiously on the seabed. They coil and uncurl their tummies to swim backward easily in the phenomenon that is known as the Caridoid Escape Reaction. The recorded speed has been 11 mph (18kmph).

How much does a lobster weigh?

The average lobster weighs between 2.2-15 lb (1-7 kg)..

What are their male and female names of the species?

The male lobsters and female lobsters are called cocks and hens, respectively.

What would you call a baby lobster?

A lobster baby is called a cricket.

What do they eat?

Lobsters are omnivores, meaning lobsters eat everything, sand fleas, mussels, clams, crabs, and sometimes small fish. They hunt sluggish prey because they are slow-moving. In their powerful claws, they grasp and pinch their prey. Lobsters consume plants that emerge underwater when they can't locate any of these species to eat.

Are they dangerous?

Although lobsters are mostly not dangerous, they have the ability to be harmful if not handled carefully. The real danger with lobsters appears when it comes to cooking them. Lobsters are not toxic if they die before being cooked, but they must be cooked as soon as possible. Many commercially sold lobsters are slaughtered and preserved before being cooked. Since lobsters and other crustaceans spoil quickly after death, many consumers choose to purchase them alive.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, lobsters are often kept as pets by people. They can be kept in a tank in your house. Lobsters are quite hassle-free pets. They do not need much care. But you should always make sure that your lobster is well fed and is living in a healthy environment.

Did you know...

The inflated costs of lobsters are due to a few significant reasons. Unlike other fisheries, there are no industrial farms that can supply a large number of lobsters at a low cost. Farming lobsters is challenging. The crustaceans grow more slowly, consume a large amount of food, are vulnerable to a highly infectious lobster illness, and their embryos are extremely difficult to sustain. Hence it is a task for them to be caught or to set a trap for them.

The claws of a lobster are incredibly strong. Your finger can be broken by a big lobster.

Lobsters are unable to cry. They are devoid of vocal cords. Steam escaping from the outer shell is the most common cause for noises made whenever a lobster is boiled.

Various delicious recipes can be made out of a lobster. But while cooking a lobster, make sure that you boil it first.

If kept damp and cold, a lobster will survive out of the water for two days. The gills of a lobster will absorb oxygen from the atmosphere, so they should be moistened, or they will die. However, after getting caught in a trap for their meat, they can be preserved to be alive for 48 hours.

Lobster blood contains copper, which is used to distribute oxygen in the body. Hemocyanin is the name for this substance. Hemocyanins are proteins with two copper atoms in them. Other invertebrates, such as octopus, snails, crabs, and others, behave closely to lobsters in terms of blood transport, with Cu- atoms granting their blood a bluish tint.

Can lobsters live to 100 years?

Yes, some lobsters can live up to 100 years or even longer. The most aged lobster ever caught was estimated to be 140 years old. In 2017, a 120-year-old lobster was found staying at a seafood restaurant in New York for 20 years. There are rumors that lobsters are immortal as they can regrow their legs, claws and antennae if they fall off. However, they are not immortal. Most lobsters will eventually die from exhaustion due to molting.

How do lobsters identify food?

Lobsters find their food using their acute sense of scent. Touch is responsive to their long antennae and small hairs all over their bodies. Water scents and chemical signals are detected through the help of the shorter antennae. The shorter antennae also aid lobsters in locating fish. Lobsters use four thin antennae on the anterior portion of their heads and small sensory hairs that cover their bodies to smell their food. Their smell is so strong that they can detect each single amino acid that identifies a particular meal.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods including the Sally Lightfoot crab and the Dungeness crab.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our lobster coloring pages.