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Here are some fast lobster facts for those who bear interest to the red crustacean that usually graces their plate between a cup of drawn butter and lemon.

Lets begin with lobster fact number 1: Lobsters are invertebrates, members of the Class Crustacea of the Phylum Arthropoda. They are animals without a notochord, and they protect themselves with their hard exoskeleton. Lobsters are ten-legged crustaceans closely related to shrimp and crabs.

Another lobster fact is lobsters have poor eyesight. Their eyes are compound eyes, it consist of hundred of lenses joined together on the ends of pair of jointed organs called stalks. Despite the poor eyesight, they have developed senses of taste and smell through the four small antennae on the front of their heads. The tiny sensory hairs along their legs are used for tasting.

Lobster facts show that lobsters have a reputation for being scavengers; they still prefer live prey like fish, mollusks, worms and crustaceans. They usually hunt for food at night. They can also consume algae and other plant life and sometimes even lobsters especially when they are held in crowded conditions. They chew their food in their stomach, between three grinding surfaces called the “gastric mill.”

Lobsters molt is another lobster fact. Since a lobster shell can’t grow, they just molt and form a bigger shell. Before they shed the old shell, they form a thin one underneath. When the molting process starts, they start secreting enzymes that soften the shell. The lobster will struggle out of its old shell, at the same time absorbing water, which expands their body size, a process that lasts for 15 minutes. Every time they molt, they will increase their size about 20%. After the molting process, lobsters eat their old shell to replenish the calcium they lost and speed up the hardening of the new shell. The shell will harden in 6 to 8 weeks and in the mean time they will bury themselves in the mud or hide under the rocks.

Other interesting lobster facts are lobsters can regenerate legs, claws and antennae. In fact they can amputate their own claws and legs to escape danger though it may take 3 to 4 cycles for claws to regenerate. Lobsters also use complicated signals to establish social relationships. They even sometimes walk hand in hand.

These are just a few of lobster facts, one last thing to remember is that lobster comes in variety of colors from the usual olive green, to blue, yellow, red and white. Some even come in two colors, having one half in one color and another half in a different shade, but they all end up the same color when cooked, red.

Lobster fishing is the harvesting or marine lobsters, spiny lobsters, or crayfish, whether for recreation or commercial purposes. It is a tradition that began way back when men discovered that lobsters are edible.

Lobster fishing is a venture that requires expensive gear and sturdy boats. It uses tools such as boats, navigation and other fishing technology. Lobster fishing generally includes traps, or pot warp, connected to one another and to a buoy with rope. Lobster traps must have escape holes to allow under-sized lobsters to get out of the trap. A trap must also have a device that allows its door to open after it has been out too long. Traps are sunk to the ocean bottom and dead fish are used to bait the lobsters. Lobster traps allow fishermen to harvest a lot of lobsters.

For those who are interested in lobster fishing, here’s a step by step process on how to get about on this moderately challenging endeavor. The first step is the acquisition of lobster license, federal or state. Federal allows you to fish in deeper waters, usually acquired by commercial fishermen, but for the recreational fisherman, state license would suffice.

The second requirement for lobster fishing is of course a boat, either you can purchase or rent one. Together with the boat are the necessary gears such as buoys, minimum of two for a line. A line contains a series of traps, some even reaching up to 10 per line. Decide on the number of lines you need, if you are fishing alone, set up a few lines but the more men with you, then you can set up more lines. Mark the buoys for identification, and if possible add a tracking system for your lines for easy harvesting.

Additional gears for lobster fishing are in case of foul weather and emergency. Buy rain gear weather, water resistant boots, oil gear, gloves, dry socks. Safety equipment such as first-aid kits to life preservers is also essential.

Make sure that you have sufficient bait for your traps. Store them in tubs or drums, and the amount of bait depends on the number of traps you plan to release.

Finally, make sure you have provisions in case any contingencies that might arise, one of which is who will purchase your harvest. Lobster fishing is an expensive endeavor, and it’s important to recoup your expenses whether you fish recreationally.

Lobster, once considered a poor man’s fare, is now a delicacy around the world. With the advent of modern technology, lobster can be enjoyed by anyone in the world. There a lot of ways how to enjoy lobster cuisine as different parts of the world have different ways of preparing a good lobster meal.

During the colonial times of the States, lobster was considered a mark of poverty, for they were served to indentured servants or lower members of society. In fact some servants became so tired of consuming lobster that they have included a clause in their contract that they would not be forced to eat lobster more than three times a week.

The taste for lobster changed once technology in the transportation sector improved. Once live lobsters can be delivered to urban centers, it became a luxurious food and international community embraced it contributing their own lobster recipes.

The more famous lobster recipes include the Lobster Thermidor , a classic French dish consisting of cream and baked cheese and Lobster Newberg (North America), made from lobster, cream, cognac, sherry and Cayenne pepper. Lobster is included everywhere from appetizers to desserts, such as soup, bisque or lobster rolls. Lobster meat is often dipped in butter for a sweetened flavor.

Lobsters recipes have the crustacean cooked fried, grilled or baked but the usual preparation for a lobster is to be boiled live in water or steam. Here is a lobster recipe of how a lobster thermidor, a French dish consisting of creamy, cheesy mixture of cooked lobster meat, egg yolks, sherry or brandy, stuffed into a lobster is prepared.

Place lobsters in a heatproof contained with a lid. Bring boiling water and vinegar and pour it over the lobster and cover it with a lid. Let it steep for 2 to 3 minutes then remove it from the pot with tongs. Twist off the claws and return it to the pot for another 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, remove claws from the pot, crack it open to loosen the meat. Remove the meat from the knuckles. Then preheat the oven to 425 degrees. While waiting, melt butter in a saucepan, and sauté carrot, celery, onion until it becomes translucent. Add flour to this, and then milk. Add dry seasonings and let it simmer for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks and cream. Take the sauce of the heat and add it to the egg yolks and cream. Chop the lobster meat, place in mixing bowl. Place lobster tails in baking sheet and and spoon the mixture into shells topped with parmesan. Baked in oven for 12 minutes until the parmesan turns brown.

This is just one of the lobster recipes where one can enjoy a tasty delicay. Lobster is a healthy food and can be cooked in a variety of ways.