The Ultimate Lobster Quiz

Lobsters are related to crayfish, shrimp and crab. Lobster meat is considered a delicacy.

Lobsters are caught in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and are typically kept alive until cooked.

You can typically find American lobster, marine crayfish and rock lobsters in stores.

American lobster may be a misnomer, since most American lobster is caught in Canada. Lobster is typically caught off the shores of New England, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

American lobster is typically caught in small wooden traps that are baited with fish.

Lobsters typically live in shallow water around islands, but there is a sub-set of lobsters that live in the deep sea.

Spiny lobsters live in warm ocean water throughout the world. They enjoy coral reefs and crevices. Slipper lobsters live in sand and mud.

A typical American lobster is about 12 inches in length (30 cm) and weighs about two pounds (1 kilo). You can find American lobsters, however; that weigh up to 40 pounds.

Uncooked American lobsters are typically dark green with various markings.

The exoskeleton of an American lobster is composed of 21 pieces. Some pieces are fused together while other pieces are moveable, allowing for range of motion.

The carapace is the thickest part of an American lobster's exoskeleton. The carapace is found on the back of a lobster.

Lobsters have five pairs of legs. In the American lobster, the front set of legs are claws.

The lobster's abdomen consists of six shell rings that overlap. The entire abdomen of a lobster is called a “lobster tail.”

Typically, you eat only the “lobster tail” of a spiny lobster, which consists of both the tail and the abdomen.

Lobsters have all the same internal organs as humans, including a reproductive system and a brain.

A lobster sheds it's exoskeleton frequently when young. When a lobster sheds its exoskeleton it becomes vulnerable to prey until a new, hard shell forms.

Lobsters can actually grow new claws and legs if they become dismembered. Now that's a good skill!

Lobsters mature after four or five years. Some lobsters can actually live to 100 years old.

Molting is the process by which lobsters shed their old exoskeleton for a new exoskeleton. A lobster actually forms a new soft exoskeleton underneath its existing shell before the lobster sheds its old shell.

There are small receptors on a lobster's antenna, legs, carapace and tail that detect chemical changes in the water. This helps them find food.