Lobsters are marine crustaceans known for their distinctive appearance and complex life cycles. Understanding the differences between male and female lobsters provides insight into their biology and population dynamics.
The Hen Lobster: Identification and Key Features
A female lobster is commonly referred to as a “hen lobster.” Distinguishing female lobsters involves observing several physical characteristics, particularly those related to reproduction. One noticeable difference is the shape of their tail, which tends to be wider and more rounded in females. This broader tail provides ample surface area for carrying eggs.
Underneath the tail, lobsters possess small, feathery appendages known as swimmerets or pleopods. In female lobsters, these swimmerets are softer and more pliable, designed to hold and aerate their eggs. The first pair of swimmerets, located closest to the body, are particularly thin and feathery in females, contrasting with the harder, more rigid ones found in males. Additionally, female lobsters have genital openings called gonopores at the base of their third pair of walking legs.
A definitive sign of a female lobster is when she is “berried,” meaning she is carrying eggs attached to the underside of her tail. Female lobsters secrete a sticky substance to secure these eggs to their swimmerets, where they can remain for approximately nine to twelve months. During this period, the female uses her swimmerets to fan the eggs, ensuring they receive adequate oxygen and remain free from debris. A single female lobster can carry a substantial number of eggs, ranging from several thousand up to over 100,000, depending on her size and age.
Significance of Female Lobsters
The presence and health of female lobsters are important for the continuation of lobster populations. Their role in laying and carrying eggs directly influences the number of new lobsters entering the ecosystem. Protecting these reproductive females is a practice implemented in lobster fisheries to maintain sustainable stocks.
Fisheries regulations in many regions prohibit the harvesting of “berried” females, requiring them to be returned to the water immediately if caught. An additional conservation measure is “V-notching,” where a small, V-shaped mark is cut into a tail flipper of an egg-bearing female before she is released. This mark serves as a permanent identifier, indicating that the lobster is a protected breeder and must not be harvested, even after she molts and is no longer actively carrying eggs. This practice, along with size limits that protect both small and large lobsters, helps ensure that robust, reproductive individuals remain in the breeding population.