Just what is a lobster?

Lobsters are invertebrates and they can be found all over the world. Lobsters  have a hard protective exoskeleton.  Lobsters have 10 legs, and the front legs have adapted into claws.

Lobsters live in the sea and can be found on rocky, sandy, or muddy bottoms from near the shore out past the edge of the continental shelf. They live in crevices in rocks and they also borrow under rocks.

Lobsters usually eat live food like fish, mollusks, other crustaceans, worms, and some plants. They can be canabalistic when caught and placed in tanks with other lobsters, and they are not above scavenging for food on the sea bottom.

Lobsters continue to grow throughout their lives and it is not unusual for a lobster to live for more than 100 years. The largest lobster was caught in Nova Scotia, Canada, and weighed 44 lb.

Because a lobster lives in a murky environment at the bottom of the ocean, its vision is poor and it mostly uses its antennae as sensors to locate food. When you see a lobster you will notice it has swimmerets under its tail to help it swim. 

Lobsters usually move slowly by walking on the bottom of the sea, but when in danger and need to flee, they swim backwards quickly by curling and uncurling their abdomen, which uses their tail as a large paddle.

Lobster is a gourmet food for most people, and some great recipes like there are well-known recipes like Lobster Newberg and Lobster Thermidor. Lobster is best eaten when fresh, and they are normally bought live.

Live lobsters are usually shipped and sold with their claws tied up with rubber bands to keep them from pinching each other (or you, the buyer).

Lobsters are usually prepared and cooked while they are still alive, with or without the claws removed.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lobsters".