Lobsters are marine crustaceans that function as opportunistic scavengers and predators. They do not follow a set feeding schedule because their consumption is dictated by a complex interplay of food availability, environmental conditions, and their own physiological state. Their feeding patterns are highly flexible and dependent on the immediate circumstances of their benthic environment.
Feeding Frequency and Timing
Lobsters are nocturnal foragers, with the highest levels of feeding and movement occurring in the first few hours after sunset. This timing minimizes their exposure to daytime predators. Observations show that most eating activities occur between 6:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m., aligning with their natural circadian rhythm.
Lobsters typically do not need to eat daily because their metabolism is relatively slow, especially in colder waters. Their low energy requirements allow them to survive for extended periods without a substantial meal; adult lobsters have survived a month or more without food in laboratory settings. Consumption in the wild is sporadic, dictated by the discovery of a suitable food source.
The search for food is an almost constant process, driven by acute chemosensory abilities. They use small antennules and sensing hairs across their bodies to detect chemical signals in the water. This allows them to locate potential meals from a distance, pulling them out of their shelters to consume a meal that might sustain them for several days.
Natural Diet and Prey Selection
Wild lobsters are omnivorous generalists, consuming a wide variety of food items found on the ocean floor. Their powerful claws are adapted for this diverse diet: one is a heavy crusher claw for pulverizing shells, and the other is a finer-edged ripper claw for tearing soft tissue.
Their diet includes:
- Small mollusks, such as clams and mussels
- Other crustaceans, like crabs
- Marine worms
- Sea urchins and starfish
- Dead or injured fish
- Plant matter, including macroalgae and seaweed
Lobsters function as an important part of the marine ecosystem’s cleanup crew due to their willingness to consume carrion. While scavenging is common, lobsters are active hunters that prefer fresh food. The specific composition of their diet varies geographically, reflecting the prey species available locally. Cannibalism is also an opportunistic behavior, observed when lobsters are vulnerable after molting or when food resources are scarce.
Biological and Environmental Factors Affecting Appetite
A lobster’s appetite fluctuates based on its physiological state and the external environment. The most substantial biological influence is the molting cycle (ecdysis), the process of shedding the hard exoskeleton to grow. Lobsters cease feeding entirely in the period leading up to and immediately following a molt.
During the pre-molt phase, energy is redirected toward forming the new shell, suppressing the desire to eat. After molting, the lobster is soft and vulnerable, hiding until the new shell hardens. Once safe, they often eat their recently vacated shell, which replenishes lost calcium needed to strengthen the developing carapace.
Water temperature directly controls a lobster’s metabolism. As cold-blooded animals, lobsters in colder waters have a slower metabolism, reducing their energy expenditure and need for frequent feeding. Warmer waters increase metabolic rates, requiring them to consume food more often to meet higher energy demands. Environmental stressors, such as poor water quality or low oxygen levels, can also suppress a lobster’s appetite and feeding activity.