FaunaHub

Lobster

MarineCrustaceanInvertebrate

An American lobster on the seabed, showing large claws.

American lobster (Homarus americanus).

Image: Derek Keats, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Overview

Lobsters are large marine crustaceans that live on the seabed. The best-known are the clawed lobsters of the family Nephropidae, such as the American lobster (Homarus americanus), used here as a reference species. They have a hard exoskeleton, ten legs, and a pair of large front claws. (Spiny lobsters, which lack big claws, belong to a separate group.) Lobsters are long-lived, slow-growing animals.

Habitat & Range

Clawed lobsters live on the ocean floor, typically among rocks, crevices, and burrows that provide shelter, from shallow coastal waters to deeper offshore zones. The American lobster occurs in the cool waters of the northwest Atlantic. Other lobster species occupy different regions and depths, so habitat varies by species.

Diet

Lobsters are omnivores and opportunistic feeders, eating a mix of fish, molluscs, crustaceans, worms, and some plant material, as well as scavenging dead animals. They forage mainly at night, using their claws to capture and break apart food. Diet varies by species and what is locally available.

Behavior

Lobsters are generally solitary and most active at night, sheltering by day in crevices and burrows. The two front claws are often specialised — typically a heavier "crusher" and a finer "pincer" claw. Like all crustaceans, lobsters grow by moulting their shell, and they can regenerate lost limbs over successive moults. Some species undertake seasonal movements.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Lobsters are the basis of valuable fisheries in several regions and are widely harvested for food, which makes sustainable management important. The American lobster fishery, for example, is regulated through measures such as size limits and protection of egg-bearing females. Conservation and stock status vary by species and region and should be checked against current fisheries-science sources.

Appearance & Recognition

A clawed lobster has a long body divided into a head-and-thorax region protected by a carapace and a muscular, segmented abdomen (the "tail"). The first pair of legs forms large claws, and the animal has long antennae and stalked eyes. Living lobsters are often dark greenish-brown or blue-black for camouflage rather than the red colour seen only after cooking. Sizes vary, and some lobsters grow very large and old.

Similar Animals

Lobsters are crustaceans, closely related to the crab covered separately on FaunaHub, as well as shrimp and the freshwater crayfish, which look like small lobsters. Spiny and slipper lobsters resemble clawed lobsters but lack the large pincers and belong to different families.

More photos of the lobster

An American lobster photographed against a plain background.

An American lobster showing its two differently shaped claws.

Image: Sven Kullander, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently Asked Questions — Lobster

Are lobsters actually red?
Usually not when alive. Many lobsters are dark greenish-brown, blue-black, or mottled, which camouflages them on the seabed. The familiar bright red appears only after cooking, when heat changes the shell pigments.
Why do lobsters have two different claws?
In clawed lobsters the two front claws are often specialised: a larger, blunt "crusher" claw for breaking hard shells and a slimmer "pincer" or "cutter" claw for gripping and tearing. Which side is the crusher can vary between individuals.
How do lobsters grow?
Lobsters grow by moulting — shedding their hard exoskeleton and forming a larger one. They are soft and vulnerable just after moulting. Over repeated moults lobsters can also regenerate claws and legs lost to injury.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.