Lobsters - Biology And Ecology Of Lobsters, Lobster Reproduction, Species Of Lobsters, Lobsters And People
developed maxillipeds body major
Lobsters are large crustaceans in the order Decapoda, which also includes about 10,000 species of crayfish, crabs, and shrimps. Decapods are characterized by having their carapace fused with their thoracic segments to form a gill chamber above where the legs join the body, and the first three of their eight pairs of thoracic legs are modified into grasping, clawlike structures known as maxillipeds.
There are two major groups of lobsters: the typical lobsters, in the infraorder Astacidea, and the spiny lobsters, in the infraorder Palinura.
The true lobsters, and the closely related crayfish, have their three pairs of maxillipeds developed as chelae, or large pincer-like claws used for catching and handling food, and for defense. The first pair of claws is especially large. These animals also have well-developed uropods, a paired appendage that arises from the last segment of the body and forms a major part of the tail fan. The spiny lobsters are not chelate (that is, they do not have large foreclaws), and their third maxilliped resembles a leg.
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The exoskeleton of living lobsters is greenish black in color, but turns red if the animals are boiled in water
An American lobster. JLM Visuals. Reproduced by permission.
or steamed, as when prepared as a meal for humans. Like many crustaceans, lobsters do not have a terminal molt—they appear to keep growing until they die an accidental death, are predated, or develop a fatal …
Typical male lobsters will deposit packets of sperm on the underside of the female. The female will later use the sperm to externally fertilize her eggs as they are laid. The female can store the sperm for several months, waiting for the egg-laying season, which typically occurs during July and August. Females breed every two years. Female lobsters carry their eggs (known as berries) beneath their…
There are several species of typical lobsters, and a larger number of spiny lobsters. The economically important species native to North American waters are briefly described below. The northern or East Coast lobster (Homarus americanus) is an abundant and widespread species of the Atlantic coast of North America, ranging as far north as Labrador to as far south as Virginia. This species occurs mo…
Lobsters are commonly captured as a food for humans, and their "fishery" is economically important in places where these crustaceans are abundant. For example, lobsters caught in the waters off New England or eastern Canada are more likely to be eaten in an expensive restaurant in New York, London, Paris, or Hong Kong, than in a local restaurant. Lobsters are so valuable that they ar…
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