The Lobster

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The lobster is a large marine crustacean with a long body and muscular tail that lives in crevices or burrows on the sea floor. They average between 10 to 20 inches long. Three of the five pairs of legs have claws. It is often one of the most profitable commodities in the coastal areas that it populates. Lobsters like snails and spiders have blue blood. They are typically blueish-green or greenish-brown but can be found in a myriad of colors. Blue coloring of a lobster is caused by a genetic defect. Lobsters can live 45 to 50 years in the wild and grow throughout life. The largest lobster in the Guinness Book of World Records is 44.5 pounds! Lobsters are omnivores and eat fish, mollusks, other crustaceans, worms and some plant life. They have been known to resort to cannibalism in captivity. The lobster did not achieve popularity until the mid 19th century when New Yorkers and Bostonians developed a taste for it. Prior to this time it was considered a poverty food for servants in Maine, Massachusetts and the Canadian Maritimes. Lobster was served in prisons, used as fertilizer and fish bait. It wasn't until well into the 20th century that the rest of the United States reveled in it as a desirable seafood dish. Throwing a lobster in a pot of boiling water is considered inhumane because the lobster feels pain. It's outlawed in some countries. Personally, I can't do it. Maybe if I put it in the freezer until it's senseless??? Photo Credit: Pixabay