Lobster

Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine arthropods. Smaller varieties are sometimes called "lobsterettes". Lobsters have a tough exoskeleton, which protects it, and it is an invertebrate organism. Like all arthropods, lobsters must molt in order to grow, thus it leaves them vulnerable during this time.

Lobsters truly define the statement of “survival of the fittest” from Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Only the biggest and the fittest survive the ocean bottom because it is a fierce world with fierce competition. Those that survive end up on dinner plates. Lobsters are considered a delicacy around the world.

The environmental conditions of the lobsters can vary from ocean to ocean, but the lobster’s temperature environment does not fluctuate much since their home is large mass of water, the ocean.

Like all arthropods, lobsters are bilaterally symmetrical. The anatomy of the lobster includes the cephalothorax which is the head fused with the thorax, and the abdomen. The lobster’s head consists of usually two pairs of antennae, eyes, and mouth. Because a lobster lives at the bottom of the ocean, vision is poor and instead the lobster uses its antennas as sensors. The abdomen of the lobster includes its ten legs and swimmerets.

Types include:

• Atlantic deepsea lobster (Acanthacaris caeca)
• Prickly deep-sea lobster (Acanthacaris tenuimana)
• Red lobster (Eunephrops bairdii)
• Sculptured lobster (Eunephrops cadenasi)
• Banded lobster (Eunephrops manningi)
• American lobster (Homarus americanus)
• Cape lobster (Homarus capensis)
• European lobster (Homarus gammarus)
• Andaman lobster (Metanephrops andamanicus)
• Arafura lobster (Metanephrops arafurensis)
• Armored lobster (Metanephrops armatus)
• Northwest lobster (Metanephrops australensis)
• Caribbean lobsterette (Metanephrops binghami)
• Bight lobster (Metanephrpos boschmai)
• New Zealand lobster (Metanephrops challengeri)
• Formosa lobster (Metanephrops formosanus)
• Japanese lobster (Metanephrops japonicus)
• African lobster (Metanephrops mozambicus)
• Neptune lobster (Metanephrops neptunus)
• Urugavian lobster (Metanephrops rubellus)
• Sculpted lobster (Metanephrops sagamiensis)
• Siboga lobster (Metanephrops sibogae)
• China lobster (Metanephrops sinensis)
• Red-banded lobster (Metanephrops thomsoni)
• Velvet lobster (Metanephrops velutinus)
• Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus)
• Bellator lobster (Thymopides grobovi)
• Mitten lobsterette (Nephropides caribaeus)
• Spinetail lobsterette (Nephropsis acanthura)
• Florida lobsterette (Nephropsis aculeata)
• Prickly lobsterette (Nephropsis agassizii)
• Scarlet lobsterette (Nephropsis atlantica)
• Ridge-back lobsterette (Nephropsis carpenteri)
• Gladiator lobsterette (Nephropsis ensirostris)
• Saya de Malha lobsterette (Nephropsis malhaensis)
• Ruby lobsterette (Nephropsis neglecta)
• Pacific lobsterette (Nephropsis occidentalis)
• Rosy (or Two-toned) lobsterette (Nephropsis rosea)
• Indian Ocean lobsterette (Nephropsis stewarti)
• Red and White lobsterette (Nephropsis suhmi)
• Grooved lobsterette (Nephropsis sulcata)
• Patagonian lobsterette (Thymops birsteini)
• Nilenta lobsterette (Thymopsis nilenta)