Collective nouns offer intriguing glimpses into language and the natural world, providing specific terms for groups of animals. While some collective nouns are widely recognized, others are less common, prompting curiosity about the unique gatherings of various creatures.
The Collective Noun for Lobsters
A group of lobsters is most commonly referred to as a “risk.” This term, while perhaps less intuitive than “school” for fish or “flock” for birds, highlights the potential danger or challenge associated with these armored crustaceans. Some sources also suggest “pod” as a collective noun, similar to groups of dolphins or whales, when lobsters aggregate in close proximity. This term emphasizes their collective presence.
A “cluster” of lobsters can describe them huddled together. When lobsters gather in dens, crevices, or holes on the ocean floor, their grouping might be called a “bed.” This term underscores their tendency to seek security and replenish energy in shared locations.
A “colony” can refer to lobsters establishing themselves in a specific area, constructing burrows, and living and reproducing together. For instances of significant movement or migration, the phrase “run of lobsters” is used, particularly to describe them congregating or migrating in unison for purposes like breeding or seeking food. This term captures the visual spectacle of their mass movement.
When Lobsters Come Together
While lobsters are often considered solitary and territorial creatures, they do congregate under specific circumstances, providing the basis for these collective nouns. Lobsters spend much of their time in shelters, emerging primarily at night to forage. They actively seek and dig burrows under rocks, eelgrass, or boulders for protection. Juvenile lobsters modify their shelter-seeking behavior based on prior experiences.
One notable instance of lobsters gathering is during seasonal migrations. Some offshore lobster populations undertake extensive movements, traveling between 80 and 300 kilometers, often from deeper waters in winter and spring to shallower areas in summer and fall. Spiny lobsters, for example, are known to form single-file lines, or “queues,” during autumn migrations, marching offshore for days, guided by the Earth’s magnetic field. This “lobster conga line” behavior reduces drag and helps them stay on course.
Lobsters also come together for reproductive purposes. Females mate after molting, when their shells are soft and they are vulnerable. A female will often seek out the burrow of a dominant male, releasing pheromones to signal readiness and calm the male. Although lobsters do not mate for life and males can mate with multiple females, the female may stay in the male’s shelter for days or weeks after mating while her new shell hardens, benefiting from his protection. This cohabitation is primarily for pair formation during the molting and mating period.
Molting is a process for lobsters to grow, as their hard exoskeleton does not expand. They shed their old shells to make way for a new, larger one. During and immediately after molting, lobsters are susceptible to predators and infections due to their soft new shells. While lobsters undergo this process individually, the vulnerability associated with molting may lead them to seek out or remain in secure, potentially shared, shelter.