National Lobster Day

September 25th is National Lobster Day. Lobster became popular as an American food in the mid-1800's. Prior to that time, it was considered as fit only for servants, prisoners, or the very poor. In fact, it was well into the 20th century before the food became sought after.

Lobsters are caught in baited, one-way traps dropped from boats and marked with colored buoys. The traps are made from either plastic-coated, galvanized steel or wood. Of course, all the early ones were wooden. A lobster fisherman might tend as many as 2,000 traps. Lobster boats, also known as smacks, have a holding area to keep the lobsters alive.

Farming lobster for commercial use has never been very successful. For one thing, lobsters tend to eat each other, especially when kept in close quarters. Their growth rate is also too slow.

As they grow, the lobster must molt, and they may change colors. They have ten legs, live on the bottom of the ocean, and use their antennae as sensors. A lobster may live to be about 70 years old, growing larger all the while. The largest lobster on record was caught in Nova Scotia and weighed over 44 pounds.

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