A bit confusing, yet generally speaking a unique gland determines masculinity in crustaceans, at least in those species such as lobsters, prawns, crabs and crayfish where sex does not change naturally.
The half-blue, half-orange lobster is a gynandromorph, meaning it has both male and female characteristics. According to the science center, this pattern is suspected to be the result of a cellular split during the crustacean's embryonic development. The lobster was acquired from the Maine State Aquarium last spring.
Most people agree male and female lobsters are equally tender and tasty. Female lobsters can have roe, which is an internal egg sac, that chefs can use to enrich their recipes. The roe is different than the fertilized eggs that can be found sticking to the outside of the lobster's tail.
Comparisons. Typically, male lobsters grow larger than females within a species. Females usually have wider tails than males, which enable them to store their eggs.
The oldest known cases of intersexuality come from 70 million year old fossil crabs whilst the oldest published case of intersex crustacean stems from a 1730 Royal Society report of a gynandromorph lobster. Many crustacean species are sequential hermaphroditic or simultaneous hermaphrodites.
“As it turns out, lobsters don't mate for life,” explained Mr. Wheir, a video editor in New York. Actually, male lobsters in particular are rather promiscuous. “Lobsters do have a monogamous bond, but it only lasts for two weeks,” said Trevor Corson, the author of “The Secret Life of Lobsters” (HarperCollins, 2004).
Most likely, yes, say animal welfare advocates. Lobsters belong to a family of animals known as decapod crustaceans that also includes crabs, prawns, and crayfish.
Lobsters shed their shells, or molt. A female lobster can only mate just after she has molted.
Marine law calls for all lobsters to be checked for size, and only those within a 3¼” to 5″ window are legal to keep. Anything smaller or oversized must be thrown back. Because of this, baby lobsters are allowed to grow to maturity, and the oversized animals are protected for life, which allows them to mate.
A female lobster mates mostly when she is in the soft-shell state right after she has shed her shell. Female lobsters can carry live sperm for up to two years. At any time she may decide to fertilize her 3,000-75,000 eggs. By law, a female lobster carrying eggs must be thrown back if it is caught.
Don't divide but conquer. A small collection of species from the crustacean family—including shrimp, lobsters and crabs—can reproduce asexually.
Male versus female lobsters
Which lobster you choose is a matter of personal taste. If you prefer claw meat, go for a male. If you favor tail meat or love the roe, a female is the best option.
Lobsters don't have vocal cords, and even if in agony, they cannot vocalise. The high pitched sound made by an overheating lobster is caused by expanding air rushing out of small holes in lobsters' bodies, like a whistle being blown. A dead lobster will “scream” just as loudly as if it was living.
Lobsters and other shellfish have harmful bacteria naturally present in their flesh. Once the lobster is dead, these bacteria can rapidly multiply and release toxins that may not be destroyed by cooking. You therefore minimise the chance of food poisoning by cooking the lobster alive.
Freezing Live Lobsters: Just Don't Do It
Safety aside, freezing and thawing lobster prior to cooking it will lead to enzymes leaching into the meat, resulting in a mushy, unappetizing texture.
"Lobster blood is generally colorless, it's just that when lobster blood is oxygenated, it turns bluish," he said. Prof Sulistiono explained that lobster blood contains hemocyanin which contains copper.
Yes, apparently lobsters can live for a very long time. Scientists have found that lobsters don't show signs of aging, which could mean that a lobster may live forever if it's not killed or malnourished. The oldest captive lobster on record was 140 years of age.
1. An adult lobster can lay up to 100,000 eggs, depending on the size of the female. The female carries her fertilized eggs externally under her tail, attached to her swimmerets, for a period of 9 to 12 months.
While mammals and birds possess the prerequisite neural architecture for phenomenal consciousness, it is concluded that fish lack these essential characteristics and hence do not feel pain.
Some say the hiss that sounds when crustaceans hit the boiling water is a scream (it's not, they don't have vocal cords). But lobsters and crabs may want to since a new report suggests that they could feel pain.
Scientists have found that it can take lobsters between 35 – 45 seconds to die when plunged into a pot of boiling water — and if they are dismembered their nervous system can still function for up to an hour.
However, it turns out everything we thought we knew about crustacean commitment is a lie. "Lobsters, by nature, are not monogamous and do not pair for life," Curt Brown, Ready Seafood's in-house marine biologist, said in a statement to E! News.
In fact, scientists have found that the nerve cells in a lobster's antennae and leg hairs are more specialized than those of any other creature. The lobsters' two-week courtship and mating ritual is especially touching in its apparent affection. In many ways, lobster interaction seems almost human.
It's a pop culture trope that mated lobsters stay together until they die. But is it true? Nope. While plenty of animals practice long-term monogamy, lobsters are not among them.
But thankfully chefs can take steps to minimize the risk. One of those ways? Boiling lobsters alive. Turns out, those unusual tanks of live lobsters in restaurants isn't just there so you can have a plate of fresh lobster.