Lobsters are sea creatures without backbones. They’ve been around for 480 million years and live in all oceans. They come in different sizes, shapes, and colors.
5 Cool things about lobsters:
1. No Backbone
Lobsters are like insects and crabs; they don’t have a backbone.
2. Long Lives
European lobsters can live up to 31 years, with females living over 54 or 70 years.
3. Blue Blood
Lobsters have blue blood that carries oxygen instead of red like humans.
4. Pee Talk
Lobsters communicate by releasing pee through their antennas to send messages to each other.
5. Sensory Skills
Lobsters use their antennas more than their eyes to find food and understand their surroundings.
Do Lobster Shed Their Shell (Exoskeleton )?
Yes! Lobster shed their hard outer shell exoskeleton to grow bigger, which is an interesting part of their biology.
We genuinely talk about lobsters’ outer structure, called an exoskeleton made of chitin and calcium.
It is hard and elastic and works as an armor-like structure to protect them from predators.
Lobsters molting is crucial, they cannot grow with their permanent exoskeleton, but they can grow by shedding periodically their old exoskeleton through a biological process called molting or ecdysis.
Have you ever seen molted lobster? How does molted lobster undergo the molting or ecdysis process?
In this blog post, we will talk about molting lobster and their biological secrets, but first, let’s start with a quick answer.
Lobsters use molting(ecdysis) for growing. It’s a process of absorbing excess water from the environment, helping them shed their outer shell and increase their body size. Females lobstere take a break from ecdysis while preparing for laying eggs.
Lobster Molting
frequency varies depending on their life cycle
Adults
Once a year or two.
Egg-stage
Up to 35 times in a few days or weeks.
Larval Stage
5 times.
Juveniles
4-4 times every few days or weeks.As lobsters age, they molt less frequently However, it doesn’t end here, and the whole story is not revealed.
Below, I’ll explain biologically molting secrets in their life cycle: when do lobsters shed their shell and the factors influencing shedding lobster.
I’ll discuss how lobster molt occurs, how lobsters prepare themselves for molting, signs and indications, etc. Keep reading on!
How Do Lobsters Shed Their Shell? (Explained)
Molting or ecdysis begins with hormonal changes that result in the softening of the exoskeleton.
Molting is necessary for growth. Water from the environment is pumped or absorbed into the lobster’s body, helping to stretch out their skin like a water balloon, thus aiding in shedding and increasing body size. Due to hormone release, the skin begins to harden.
Building a New Shell
The new shell is made of tough stuff called chitin and calcium.
It can have bumps, spines, and even colors, depending on the lobster.
Molting is Tough For Molted Lobster
- Molting takes a lot of energy and is risky because the lobster is soft and vulnerable when its new shell grows.
- If a limb gets lost during molting, it can grow back over several molts, but not all at once.
Recycling Materials of Molted Lobster
- Lobsters take calcium from their old shell and store it in special places for the new ones. They do have a special organ for this job.
- Blood flow in the limbs slows down during molting, but it’s not completely removed.
Did you know? When a molted lobster sheds its shell, it is full of calcium.
The lobster then devours its own molted shell through its mouth voraciously to hasten the formation of new shells.
This process prevents the waste of shell calcium, as the calcium is absorbed into the new shell, hastening the formation of the new exoskeleton.
The new exoskeleton is made up of chitin and calcium.
Once the lobster has molted, it absorbs water to rehydrate itself, lowering the protein concentration in its hemolymph or blood.
After shedding its shell and forming a new one, lobsters hide in rocks, crevices, caves, or other hidden places to protect themselves from predators.
Interestingly, when a female lobster sheds its shell, the male lobster protects it until the new exoskeleton has fully grown, as the new shell is thin, vulnerable, and tender.
Before shedding its old shell, a new shell forms under the old one.
Following hormonal changes and water absorption, the lobster’s body expands, rolls over to its side, bends itself, and then, after a laborious process, pulls itself out of the old shell.
Mostly, male lobsters mate with females after the female molting is complete. Before this, the female releases pheromones, a hormone, into the water to signal to the male that she is preparing to mate.
Her male partner then takes the female to a safe location and protects her because the female is fragile due to the new molting process.
How often Do Lobsters Molt?
The frequency of molting in lobsters varies throughout their life cycle.
In the section below, I will explain how lobsters molt. Let’s divide the lobster life cycle into four stages: Egg, Larval stage, Juvenile stage, and Adult stage.
Egg Stage
In the first 5-8 years of life, a lobster molts around 25 times as it grows.
Female lobsters lay thousands of eggs. A 9-pound female can carry over 100,000 eggs.
Younger lobsters molt more frequently than adults, similar to humans growing faster in their youth.
However, adult lobsters don’t molt while carrying eggs inside their bodies.
Lobster embryo molting takes 9-12 months, the typical duration a female carries fertilized eggs.
After the eggs hatch, the free-swimming larvae will begin their independent lives.
Larval Stage
After hatching, baby lobsters become swimming larvae. They undergo multiple molts during this stage, increasing in size and developing their body structures.
The first stage larva is around 8 mm long, and subsequent stages grow progressively larger. Claw development begins gradually throughout the larval stages.
Post-Larval Stage
After successfully molting several times, the larva becomes a post-larva at about 1 cm long. It actively swims for 4 to 6 weeks and seeks a safe location, such as cracks or grassy areas on the ocean floor.
Only 02 lobsters are expected to every 50000 lobster’s egg to reach legal size.
Unfortunately, many larval lobsters don’t survive to adulthood. The exact survival rate varies depending on the species and environmental factors.
Similarly to other crustaceans, molting can be a risky process.
Juvenile Stage
After baby lobsters grow from being tiny larvae, they enter a juvenile life stage.
During this time, they shed their old shells often, sometimes many times a month.
Young lobsters shed their shells more often in the first couple of years, especially when it’s warm outside, like from May to November.
As they grow older, over 5 to 10 years, they keep shedding their shells until they become adults. On average, they shed about 20 times when they’re young lobsters.
In the 3rd or 4th years, they shed about 2 or 3 times a year. In the 5th and 6th years, it’s usually once or twice.
After that, they slow down and might shed only once or twice a year.
Lobster Adult Stage
Lobsters reach adulthood after 5 to 8 years.
At this stage, they molt once a year. Females molt either once a year or once every two years. As lobsters age, the frequency of molting decreases.
Generally, as lobster size increases, molting decreases. Molting takes up to several minutes to 30 minutes.
Unfortunately, if molting is unnaturally prolonged, the lobster may die because, during ecdysis, lobsters become helpless and cannot move. Lobsters also cannot eat until their shell hardens.
Molted lobster (How does a lobster grow by molting)?
Lobsters shed shells by ecdysis or molting necessary for their existence.
Getting Ready to Shed
Lobsters grow by shedding their old exoskeleton, like taking off a tight coat.
Before shedding, they store building materials, like calcium carbonate.
Building a New Shell
The new shell is tough and made of chitin and calcium carbonate.
It can have bumps, spines, and different colors.
Molting is Tough
Molting requires a lot of energy and is risky because lobsters are soft and vulnerable.
Lost limbs can regenerate over several molts.
Recycling Materials
Lobsters recycle calcium carbonate from their old shell for the new ones.
They have a special organ for this job.
Eating the Old Shell
Lobsters may eat their old shell to absorb calcium and accelerate new shell formation.
After Molting
Lobsters absorb water to rehydrate and lower protein concentration in their blood.
They hide to protect themselves until the new shell hardens.
Male lobsters may protect female lobsters after they molt to facilitate mating.
Interesting Facts
Lobsters can only eat while their shells are hard.
Younger lobsters molt more often than older ones.
Lost limbs can grow back during molting, which is pretty amazing.
Lobsters can be cannibalistic if you don’t feed them a proper diet in captivity, so always feed them them fresh diet at your home.
When Do Lobsters Molt?
Lobster molting is most common during warmer months, typically from late spring to early fall, although the exact timing varies based on species, location, and water temperature.
While some lobsters may occasionally molt in winter, it’s less frequent due to the energy demands and slower hardening process in colder waters.
During molting, lobsters often move to shallower waters, seeking shelter and better water quality.
Warmer water temperatures and sunlight (specifically ultraviolet light) contribute to the hardening of the new exoskeleton, although other factors like nutrition and water quality also play a significant role.
The hardening process takes longer in colder temperatures. Additionally, the length is influenced by the lobster’s size, with larger lobsters requiring more time.
Interestingly, female lobster molting is not solely determined by growth but is also heavily influenced by their reproductive cycle.
They typically molt before mating in the summer and store the sperm internally until they release and fertilize their eggs externally. Females will not molt again until after their eggs hatch.
What Are The Factors That Influence Lobster Molting?
Environmental factors influencing lobster molting:
Temperature
Warmer water increases the ecdysis (molting) process, leading to more frequent molting.
However, extremely high temperatures can be stressful and even detrimental to the animal.
Food Availability
Low nutrient intake can slow down molting, as energy is needed.
Social Interaction
Some species, like lobsters, exhibit density-dependent molting where crowding can delay molting due to competition for resources or dominance hierarchies.
Species Differences
Spiny lobster species generally grow slower than clawed lobster species like H. Americanus due to life history strategies and resource allocation variations.
Other Factors Include
Oxygen Levels
If there isn’t enough oxygen in the water, it can stress the animal and make molting harder.
Regeneration
During molting, animals can regain lost parts, like limbs, through special body processes. This helps them get bigger with each molt.
Why Do Lobsters Molt?
The reasons why lobsters undergo molting include growth and reproduction.
Lobsters shed their shell periodically to facilitate growth because they cannot expand their bodies with a permanent shell.
As detailed at the beginning of this blog, a new shell forms when the old one is shed.
Another reason is that female lobsters cannot molt if the old exoskeleton is not shed, which is necessary for storing the male partner’s sperm. Female lobsters remove their old hard shell to access the sperm-storing pouch. After that, females do not shed their exoskeleton until egg shedding occurs.
How Do Lobsters Molt?
Lobsters grow by shedding their hard outer shell through molting. During this process, they absorb water to help shed the old shell and grow larger and thus become molted lobster. Female lobsters pause molting when preparing to lay eggs.
The new shell, made of chitin and calcium, can vary in texture and color. Molting is energy-intensive and allows lost limbs to regenerate slowly over time. Lobsters recycle calcium from their old shell and adjust their protein levels after molting.
After shedding their shell, lobsters hide from predators. Male lobsters protect females during molting, as the new shell is thin and vulnerable. Before shedding, a new shell begins forming beneath the old one.
During molting, lobsters absorb water and change to grow and shed their shell. They mate after females release pheromones post-molting, with males safeguarding females during this vulnerable period.
What Are The Stages Between the Molting of a Molted Lobster?
Molting, in essence, is the shedding of the old exoskeleton in arthropods like lobsters. This process occurs in four distinct stages:
- Pre-moltThe lobster begins hardening its new exoskeleton through mineralization and sclerotization.
- Ecdysis: The molted lobster sheds its old exoskeleton.
- Post-molt: In this soft-bodied stage, the lobster repairs and grows tissues.
- Intermolt: The new exoskeleton hardens, and the lobster replenishes energy reserves like glycogen and lipids for the next molt.
Increased Activity
Lobsters become restless, actively searching for a secure molting spot.
Shelter Building
They seek seclusion, constructing burrows or finding crevices to molt safely.
Joint Softening
Membranes around joints and the carapace edge soften and turn translucent.
Carapace Coloration
The shell may darken slightly as pigment accumulates beneath the old exoskeleton.
Limb Buds
Undeveloped buds appear on appendages where limbs were lost, indicating new limb growth post-molt.
Growth Spurt
Lobsters may undergo slight size increases before molting, with significant growth occurring post-molt and hence lobster molted.
FAQs:
Do lobsters molt in cold areas?
Lobsters in cold water molt, but less often and slower than in warm water. They still need to grow, but the colder temperatures slow the process.
Why do lobsters molt?
Lobsters molt, they keep getting bigger all their lives, unlike humans, who stop growing as adults. Their hard shell can’t stretch, so they shed it to make room for a bigger one and keep growing.
Can a lobster molting death occur, and how much percent?
Lobsters don’t die of old age, but 10-15% die annually from molting complications.
Can we eat molted lobster shells?
No, you shouldn’t eat a lobster shell after it has molted. Even though lobsters might eat their shells to get some nutrients, it’s not good for people to eat because it’s tough, hard to digest, and might have bacteria in it.
Conclusion
Molted lobster , the old shells that lobsters shed show us their amazing molting process. Molting helps lobsters grow and stay alive. lobsters go through big changes in their bodies and hormones. Things like the environment and mating cycles affect. This shedding of the old shell shows how tough and adaptable these spineless sea creatures are.
