Lobster Facts

The Anatomy of a Lobster lobster anatomy

A lobster is made up of these simple parts (in layman's terms): thorax, tail, flipper, crusher claw, pincher claw, legs and antennae.

If you're dying to know if you're about to eat a male or female lobster, all you need to do is look behind the legs and before the swimmerets for a small pair of appendages on the underside of the lobster. If these appendages are hard and boney, it's a male. If they are soft and feathery, you've got a female. Look closely...sometimes they are folded up under the body. If you’d like to refer to them properly… A male lobster is called a cock and a female a hen or chicken (when she weighs about 1 pound).

Color

Maine lobsters are usually greenish brown or black in color, but can also be blue, yellow, red or even white. The color of a lobster's shell does not affect its flavor or texture.

Activity: Look for lobsters that move around and hold their claws upward and their tails straight. Claws should never hang limply and the tails should never curl underneath its body.

Want to know the difference between Hardshell and Softshell lobsters?

Lobsters grow by molting, or shedding their shells each year. Just after they molt, they are soft and fragile until their new shell has hardened. This usually takes a few months. Then they are once again known as "Hardshell" lobsters. Softshell (also called "Newshell") lobsters are not as full of meat because their new shell is larger than the muscle. This allows for another year's growth.

Softshell lobsters represent 90% of the catch during the summer months. They are always less expensive and generally contain sweeter and juicier meat than the Hardshells.

Black marks or holes in the lobster's shell are the result of wear and tear and usually indicate an older lobster that hasn't recently shed its shell. Marks are not harmful in any way.

For those counting calories...

	CHOLESTEROL	CALORIES	SATURATED FATS
Maine Lobster	72 mg	98	0.1 g
Skinless Chicken	85 mg	173	1.3 g
Skinless Turkey	86 mg	140	0.4 g

*this does not include the butter

source: The National Institute of Health based on a 3.5 oz. Serving