Maine Lobster – Do you know . . .


Maine is the lobster capital of the world. Here, we have the sweetest, juiciest and finest lobsters anywhere. Mainers are proud of this fact and take lobster fishing very seriously. The most recent figures published indicate that in 2009 there were over 72 million pounds of lobster caught off the Maine coast, valued at over 297 million dollars.

Even though Maine lobsters are consumed by millions of people all over the world, little is know about our Homarus americanus (American lobster.) Let me share a few little-known lobster facts that you can ponder the next time you dig into these succulent crustaceans.

Lobsters love the colder waters you find around the Maine coast. However, I have witnessed them hanging out in some of the bars in the Old Port in Portland, too. They molt 2-3 times a year while juvenile, but only once a year when fully mature (about 4 to 7 years old.) In the first two weeks after molting, lobsters are very vulnerable because their new shells are so soft they can’t move very fast, or defend themselves. Their natural predator is the codfish. There are others, too - haddock flounder and other lobsters.

Lobsters are not the scavengers everyone makes them out to be. They eat live food, consisting of fish, mollusks, other crustaceans, worms and some plant life.

Lobsters can live for more than 100 years. They can get big, too. The largest lobster weighed in at over 44 lbs. They come in a variety of colors, including red, blue, green purple and yellow.

Lobsters have a brain the size of a grasshopper’s. They have two different size claws; a crusher and a pincher. A lobster’s teeth are in its stomach.

Here’s one other lobster fact that you should be aware of: I make the best sterling silver lobster in the country. It has movable claws with hidden hinges. The claws are different sizes, (remember crusher and pincher?) There are ten different pieces that must be assembled to create this lobster and it takes me three weeks to complete the job. The details are exquisite. I often sell this lobster to lobster fishermen, here in Maine, and if there's one thing you should know about lobster fishermen in Maine: it's that they’re very particular when it comes to lobsters!

Log onto www.gerardbianco.com  and click the jewelry logo to see my lobster, and other sea and nautical jewelry that I create. Oh yeah, check out the diamond rings, too.

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