The Life History of American Lobsters. Learn about the life history of the American lobster. You will create a presentation abou
t American lobsters and their characteristics. Follow the outline below to help you organize your presentation. Outline
life cycle
courtship
and mating
habitat
diet
predators
The life cycle of the American lobster is an amazingly complex and diverse story that spans hundreds of millions of years. Lobsters can live on average 50 years old and the oldest recorded lobster was said to be at least 100 years old. American lobsters more commonly known as the Maine lobster,can weigh more than 40 pounds and grow up to 3 feet long. Maine lobsters live along the Atlantic coast of North America. Mating between lobsters is fairly complex. They go through a process called serial monogamy. A single dominant male mates with many different females. The females shed their hard exoskeleton making them vulnerable to predators. Then, the female wafts urine towards the male and sometimes a courtship dance is observed. The male and female then mate over a period of two weeks after which the female moves on. This process continues several times. Predators of the lobster include but are not limited to: Haddocks, Humans, Seals, etc. When shown in display shelves, lobsters tend to become cannibalistic so shop owners bind the claws of the lobster shut. Lobsters in general eat crabs, clams, mussels, starfish, smaller fish, and sometimes even other lobsters.
In the natural world, limiting factors like the availability of food, water, shelter and space can change animal and plant populations. Other limiting factors, like competition for resources, predation and disease can also impact populations.
