[ad_1]
Imagine a beautiful white tablecloth and a candlelit dinner. Is there a lobster on the table? Lobsters are very interesting and delicious animals! They are an important commercial product and make an important contribution to their ecosystems around the world. Their muscular tails and large pincers make them easy to recognize both in the wild and on the dinner menu. In this article, we’ll take a look at the place lobsters occupy in the animal kingdom and detail the largest lobster ever caught!
What is a lobster?
To estimate the relative size of the largest lobster ever caught, let’s first understand what is typical for lobsters. These are crustaceans, which are a subgroup of arthropods. Lobsters are the largest arthropods in the world by weight! Other crustaceans include crabs, shrimps, krill, woodlice, crayfish and barnacles. Most lobsters weigh up to 15 pounds and are 9.8-19.7 inches long. They inhabit all oceans around the world and live secluded in rocky crevices or burrows. Lobsters typically live between 40 and 50 years, but it is difficult to pinpoint the age of wild lobsters. Interestingly, lobsters have blue blood due to the presence of copper-containing hemocyanin in their bloodstream.
Lobsters are omnivorous and have a relatively broad diet. They usually eat other crustaceans, worms, shellfish, fish, and some vegetation. There have been cases of cannibalism in captivity and in the wild, but this is rare. Misinterpretations of cannibalism may be the result of examining the stomach contents of lobsters eating their shed skin after molting, which is common. Lobsters are prey for humans, various large fish, other crustaceans and eels. Read the full description of all lobsters here.
Where can you catch lobsters?
Lobsters, including the largest lobster ever caught, are commonly caught in North America, especially in the North Atlantic Ocean. In Maine, lobster fishing costs $ 450 million! Nova Scotia, Canada, is the self-proclaimed lobster capital of the world and is home to the largest lobster ever caught. California lobsters are common off the Pacific coast and are very popular with recreational anglers. In North America, lobsters are most commonly caught with a one-way baited trap called a lobster trap with a color-coded buoy.
Various species of Atlantic lobster are also fertile in the waters of the UK, Norway, other European countries and North Africa. A number of lobster species, less known in world trade, also exist off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand.
Fishing for lobsters, both amateur and commercial, can be done in a variety of ways. In addition to trapping a lobster, fishing for a lobster can include trawling, gillnets, hand fishing, and spearfishing. The use of trawl and gillnets is severely restricted and in many countries is used for commercial purposes only. Many countries also have a maximum number of lobsters that can be caught for recreational purposes.
What’s the biggest lobster ever caught?
The largest lobster ever caught weighed 44 pounds 6 ounces! This lobster was an amazing catch made in Nova Scotia, Canada in 1977. According to the Maine Department of Marine Resources, this huge crustacean was about 100 years old! Lobsters continue to grow throughout their lives, so long-lived lobsters can grow well above average. The record-breaking Nova Scotia lobster belonged to this species. Homarus americanusalso known as American lobster. Despite its size and large amount of meat, this giant lobster has never been eaten.
5 biggest lobsters ever recorded
Lobsters can get so big in part because they never stop growing. Humans produce the enzyme telomerase early on. life that helps in growth. However, lobsters never stop producing this enzyme. This means that the largest lobsters are also the oldest.
If lobsters never stop growing, why aren’t even more massive lobsters found? In short, as lobsters age, the energy required to molt becomes too much and they stop shedding. With a rapidly aging exoskeleton, lobsters become prone to infections and intimidate the tissues that connect their shells to their bodies. This combination kills most lobsters before they reach their really huge size.
However, huge lobsters do exist, let’s take five of the largest lobsters ever recorded.
- 22 lbs: Lobster, who was held for 20 years in a clam bar on Long Island, was released back into the wild in 2017. The media quoted the lobster as 132 years old, but that age would be difficult to confirm.
- 23 lbs: Lobster who has become the main attraction of Jordan Lobster Farms on Long Island.
- 27 pounds: In 2012, a 27-pound lobster was caught in Maine, a state record. The lobster was 40 inches long and had massive claws. He was returned to the ocean.
- 37.4 lbs: The largest lobster ever caught in Massachusetts weighed 37.4 pounds. Lobster was named “Big George” and was caught off Cape Cod.
- 44 lbs: World record for lobster catch in Nova Scotia in 1977.
How are lobsters doing today?
The increase in unsustainable fishing practices poses a serious threat to lobster populations around the world. However, the introduction of quantitative catch limits for lobsters around the world gives hope that populations will grow from generation to generation. The main commercial lobster species are the American lobster (Homarus americanus) and European lobster (Homarus gammarus). Both species have a Conservation Status of Least Concern.
Lobsters have also been the subject of controversy over the ethical methods of slaughtering animals. It has historically been common practice to boil lobsters alive before cooking. This practice has been illegal in some countries, including Switzerland, since 2018, where lobsters must die instantly or pass out before being cooked. There are devices available to electrocute and stun lobsters before killing them, and are a more humane approach. Punching holes – sticking a metal rod into an animal’s brain – is also an inhuman practice and is widely condemned. The lobster brain is complex and consists of three ganglia. Piercing damage to the frontal ganglion will not kill the lobster, but only cripple it. There are several laws in the United Kingdom that protect invertebrates. The Parliment is considering an Animal Welfare (Sapience) Bill in 2021 to protect lobsters from cruel cooking methods if scientists can prove they are sane.
[ad_2]
Source link