Lobster

compose a family (Nephropidae, sometimes also Homaridae) of large marine crustaceans.
Lobsters are economically important as seafood, forming the basis of a global industry
that nets US$1.8 billion in trade annually[citation needed].

Though several different groups of crustaceans are known as "lobsters,"
the clawed lobsters are most often associated with the name. Clawed lobsters are not closely
related with spiny lobsters or slipper lobsters, which have no claws (chelae), or squat lobsters.
The closest relatives of clawed lobsters are the reef lobster Enoplometopus and
the three families of freshwater crayfish.

Biology

Lobsters are invertebrates and are found all over the world. They have a hard protective
exoskeleton. Like most arthropods, lobsters must molt in order to grow, leaving them
vulnerable during this time. During the molting process, several species may experience
a change in color.
Lobsters live on rocky, sandy, or muddy bottoms from the shoreline to beyond the edge
of the continental shelf. They generally live singly in crevices or in burrows under rocks.
Lobsters typically eat live food, consisting of fish, mollusks, other crustaceans, worms,
and some plant life. Occasionally, they will scavenge if necessary, and may resort to
cannibalism in captivity; however, this has not been observed in the wild. Lobster skin
in the stomachs of lobsters has been found before, although this is because lobsters will eat their shed skin after molting.Lobsters grow throughout their lives and it is not unusual for a lobster to live for more than 100 years. In fact, lobsters may exhibit "negligible senescence", in that they can effectively live indefinitely, barring injury, disease, capture, etc. They can thus reach impressive sizes. According to the Guinness World Records, the largest lobster was caught in Nova Scotia, Canada, and weighed 20.15 kg (44.4 lb).

Being arthropods, lobsters are largely bilaterally symmetrical; clawed lobsters often possess unequal, specialized claws, like the king crab. A freshly caught lobster will have a claw that is full and fleshy, not atrophied. The anatomy of the lobster includes the cephalothorax which is the head fused with the thorax, both of which are covered by the carapace, of chitinous composition, and the abdomen. The lobster's head consists of antennae, antennules, mandibles, the first and second maxillae, and the first, second, and third maxillipeds. 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. Studies have shown that the lobster eye is formed with a reflective structure atop a convex retina. In contrast, most complex eyes use refractive ray concentrators (lenses) and a concave retina. The abdomen of the lobster includes swimmerets and its tail is composed of uropods and the telson.

Inside lobsters is a green goopy substance called tomalley, which serves as the hepatopancreas, fulfilling the functions of both liver and pancreas.
In general, lobsters move slowly by walking on the bottom of the sea floor. However, when they are in danger and need to flee, they swim backwards quickly by curling and uncurling their abdomen. A speed of 5 meters per second (about 11 mph) has been recorded.


Gastronomy

Lobster is a valued foodstuff; well-known recipes include Lobster Newberg and Lobster Thermidor. Lobster is best eaten fresh, and they are normally purchased live. Lobsters are usually shipped and sold with their claws banded to prevent them from injuring each other or the purchaser. Lobsters cannot open and close the claws when they are banded, which causes the claws to begin to atrophy inside the shell. Recently banded lobsters will not show this, and the claws will be full. Many restaurants that serve lobster keep a tank of the live creatures, often allowing patrons to pick their own.

Lobsters are generally prepared and cooked while they are still alive, even though both claws may have been removed. Most cooks place the live lobster into a pot of boiling water or steam which kills it. Lobsters are also served fried, grilled, or baked. Freezing the lobster may toughen the meat.

When boiling, the lobster is simmerred for 7 minutes for the first pound and 3 minutes for each additional pound.


The majority of the meat is in the tail and the two front claws, but smaller quantities can be found in the legs and torso. Lobster can be boiled or steamed, or used in a wide array of dishes and salads. It can be served as soup or bisque or mixed with mayonnaise or salad dressing for lobster rolls. Lobster meat is often dipped in melted butter, resulting in a sweetened flavor.


The European wild lobster, including the royal blue lobster of Audresselles, is more expensive and rare than the American lobster. It was consumed chiefly by the royal and aristocratic families of France and the Netherlands. Such scenes were depicted in Dutch paintings of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

In North America prior to the 20th century, local lobster was not a popular food. In the Maritimes, eating lobster was considered a mark of poverty or as a food for slaves or lower members of society. Lobsters were also used as a fertilizer for farms. Outside of the rural outports lobster was sold canned.

The market for lobster changed with the development of the modern transportation industry that allowed live lobsters to be shipped from the ports to large urban centres. Fresh lobster quickly became a luxury food and a tourist attraction for the Maritime provinces and Maine and an export to Europe and Japan where it is especially expensive.

The high price of lobster has led to the marketing of "faux lobster" which is clearly labeled as such. It is often made from pollock or other whitefish that has been altered to look and taste similar to lobster. A few restaurants sell "langostino lobster". Langostino translates into prawn, however the actual animal is probably a crab. Maine fishermen are upset that restaurants are passing off the fake as lobster. The spiny lobster is also called langouste. Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill sold a "Lobster Burrito" which was made from squat lobster, another crustacean which is very similar to the crab


Lobsters come in a variety of colors including, but not limited to, red, blue, green, purple, yellow, and magenta.


from wikipedia