American lobster

Homarus americanus

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Overview

The American lobster, cousin to the European lobster which frequents our coastline, is found from Labrador, Canada to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It inhabits rocky areas from the coastal fringe to depths of 400 m, although high densities can be found on muddy sediments where burrows can be formed. It takes between 5 and 8 years for the American lobster to reach legal size. They live for about 10 years but can live to ages older than us. American lobsters are the world's heaviest known crustacean with records of lobsters weighhing 20 kg and over 1m long! They eat a range of species including crabs, echinoderms, mussels, molluscs and are preyed upon when young but predation rates decrease with age. They can also be cannibals!