Fish Id: A Guide To East Coast Fishes

Lobster  Homarus americanus

The "Maine" or "American" lobster is a crustacean with two strong claws: a big-toothed crusher claw for pulverizing shells and a finer-edged ripper claw for tearing apart prey. The lobster uses its thinner legs to travel, but uses that powerful tail to escape backwards fast when threatened, which you often see when you pick them up. They can regenerate lost limbs. The lobster wears its skeleton on the outside (an exoskeleton). The lobster is included in the category of crustacean, along with crabs, shrimp, and barnacles. Crustaceans belong to a larger group known as Arthropods, which includes spiders, insects, and horseshoe crabs.
See NJ regulations on Lobster

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