

Lobster longevity is limited by their size. Telomerase is especially present in 'Green Spotted' lobsters - whose markings are thought to be produced by the enzyme interacting with their shell pigmentation. However, unlike most vertebrates, lobsters express telomerase as adults through most tissue, which has been suggested to be related to their longevity. Telomerase is expressed by most vertebrates during embryonic stages, but is generally absent from adult stages of life. This longevity may be due to telomerase, an enzyme that repairs long repetitive sections of DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes, referred to as telomeres. Research suggests that lobsters may not slow down, weaken or lose fertility with age, and that older lobsters may be more fertile than younger lobsters. Newer techniques may lead to more accurate age estimates. Lobsters live up to an estimated 45 to 50 years in the wild, although determining age is difficult: it is typically estimated from size and other variables. Sub-type of split-colored, specifically orange and black. Louis) Lucky Blue (2022, Maine) Ĭheddar (2022, Florida) Buscuit (2022, Mississippi) Īlmost all split-coloreds are hermaphroditic. Lord Stanley (2019, Massachusetts) (2019, St. Lobster Color ChartĪlso called white translucent ghost crystal. Special coloring does not appear to have an effect on the lobster's taste once cooked with the exception of albinos, all lobsters possess astaxanthin, which is responsible for the bright red color lobsters turn after being cooked. Often, in cases of atypical coloring, there is a genetic factor, such as albinism or hermaphroditism. Lobsters with atypical coloring are extremely rare, accounting for only a few of the millions caught every year, and due to their rarity, they usually are not eaten, instead being released back into the wild or donated to aquariums. Typically, lobsters are dark colored, either bluish green or greenish brown as to blend in with the ocean floor, but they can be found in a multitude of colors. Īnalysis of the neural gene complement revealed extraordinary development of the chemosensory machinery, including a profound diversification of ligand-gated ion channels and secretory molecules. The distinctions from fossil families such as the Chilenophoberidae are based on the pattern of grooves on the carapace.
#BLUE CRAB JUICY SEAFOOD FULL#
They differ from freshwater crayfish in lacking the joint between the last two segments of the thorax, and they differ from the reef lobsters of the family Enoplometopidae in having full claws on the first three pairs of legs, rather than just one. Lobsters of the family Nephropidae are similar in overall form to a number of other related groups. Lobsters possess a green hepatopancreas, called the tomalley by chefs, which functions as the animal's liver and pancreas. In contrast, vertebrates and many other animals have red blood from iron-rich hemoglobin. Lobsters, like snails and spiders, have blue blood due to the presence of hemocyanin, which contains copper.

The abdomen includes pleopods (also known as swimmerets), used for swimming as well as the tail fan, composed of uropods and the telson. The lobster's thorax is composed of maxillipeds, appendages that function primarily as mouthparts, and pereiopods, appendages that serve for walking and for gathering food. In contrast, most complex eyes use refractive ray concentrators (lenses) and a concave retina. The lobster eye has a reflective structure above a convex retina. Because lobsters live in murky environments at the bottom of the ocean, they mostly use their antennae as sensors. The head also bears the (usually stalked) compound eyes. The lobster's head bears antennae, antennules, mandibles, the first and second maxillae. The cephalothorax fuses the head and the thorax, both of which are covered by a chitinous carapace. Lobster anatomy includes two main body parts: the cephalothorax and the abdomen. Although lobsters are largely bilaterally symmetrical like most other arthropods, some genera possess unequal, specialized claws. The front pincers are also biologically considered legs, so they belong in the order Decapods ("ten-footed"). Lobsters have eight walking legs the front three pairs bear claws, the first of which are larger than the others. During the shedding process, several species change color. Like most arthropods, lobsters must shed to grow, which leaves them vulnerable. Lobsters are invertebrates with a hard protective exoskeleton.
