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lobsters have been around for about 480 million years. They are part of the large crustacean family, also known as Nephropidae. Lobsters are lovers and inhabitants of all oceans, fond of rocky, sandy, muddy bottoms.
They live alone, while they are eating fish, molluscs, other shellfish, worms, and even some plants; the lobster continues its journey on the planet we call soil. But how long will his journey take? Let’s dive into the oldest record of lobster and find out why these incredible animals can even outlive humans!
The cockroach of the sea
Not always seen as the delicacy we praise them today, lobsters were originally a poverty. In the 17th century, they washed ashore in abundance, making it easy for people to acquire the sea dwellers. With their abundance keeping the price exceptionally low and being a comprehensive food source, it was an easy meal choice for the poor.
So common that they were even used as bait in fishing and as farm food or even fertilizer. Today, lobster is considered a delicacy and the average market price currently fluctuates between $8-15 dollars per pound.
Are lobsters immortal?
There is the idea that lobsters are immortal, which I don’t blame people for wanting to believe; it sounds really cool. However, unlike the immortal jellyfishWhile lobsters have impressive lifespans, they are not immortal. At least not in the traditional sense.
Their long life may be due to the enzyme telomerase, which is expressed by most vertebrates during the embryonic stages, but is largely absent in the adult life stages. But, unlike vertebrates, as adults, lobsters exhibit telomerase throughout most of their tissue, which has been suggested to be related to their longevity and the reason behind the thought of their supposed immortality. Simply put, thanks to the release of telomerase throughout their lives, lobsters never stop growing, whereas most animals stop growing after they reach sexual maturity.
So why do lobsters perish?
This can be answered by watching lobsters grow, a process known as: moulting. Moulting takes a lot of energy, and the larger the scale, the more energy is needed. Over time, the lobster will perish from exhaustion during one of its molts. The elderly will stop moulting altogether, leading to the shell becoming damaged or infected, ultimately leading to their demise.
The Lifespan of a Lobster
Cancers are apparently extremely difficult to age. No one knows exactly how old they can live to be, and some experts even estimate that they are on the ocean floor for as long as a century or more. This is judged by going off the size with some variables and has been the method used for some time now. Over the years, however, some new techniques have emerged that provide a better understanding of the age of a crustacean.
There is even a research team that uses a method based on quantifying DNA changes that accumulate with age in a lobster. But with an estimated average lifespan of 45-50 years, the question remains, which is the oldest ever found?
Well, there have been a few over the years that have shot way above average with some pretty impressive numbers. Larry the Lobster, caught in Florida in 2016, weighed 15 pounds with an estimated age of 110 years old. Then we have Louie, captured in 1997 and based in Hempstead, New York. Louie weighed 22 pounds with an estimated age of 132 years old. These are all very impressive, but one stands out above the rest, and their name is George.
The oldest lobster in the world
The oldest lobster in the world was named George and it is estimated to have been a whopping 140 years old, making him older than any human being (the oldest recorded human being was 122 years old).
George is an Atlantic lobster and was caught off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, in 2008. He weighed 20 pounds with an estimated birth year of 1869, which would approach his age at an astonishing 140 years old. Fortunately for George, his journey didn’t end on that boat in Newfoundland or on anyone’s plate; instead, it was sold for $100 to a seafood restaurant on Park Avenue South.
The restaurant manager never intended to sell it to be eaten, but to draw attention to the establishment, which worked, and he became something of a mascot for the establishment. This is also where he would get his name, with a young restaurant owner calling him George.
His time as a mascot, however, was short-lived. PETA got word that he was being held at the restaurant and they started speaking out for his release, which is exactly what happened.
They first took him to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where experts would help him acclimate back to the wild. He was later driven to Maine and released back into the waters north of Kennebunkport by PETA members, where he always belonged, on January 10, 2009. Lobster fishing was banned in that area, so the reason they chose the location .
The conservation status of lobsters today
lobsters are heavily fished worldwide for their meat, with most of the global catch taking place in temperate waters. It is difficult to catch them in large quantities. However, their size can make up for this and provide a profitable catch. With 250 million U.S. lobsters in the Gulf of Maine, it looks like it has no intention of ending its 480 million run any time soon.
With so much still undiscovered, this raises the possibility that we may encounter a lobster even older than George; Time will tell. But even with fishermen catching tons of lobsters every year, their numbers remain stable.
Also, if a fisherman catches a female with eggs, it is illegal to hold her and she must return to the sea. These are just some of the many actions that aim to steadily increase the lobster population.
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