The Largest Lobster Ever Caught, Plus 6 More Over 20 Pounds
Both the European lobster and American lobster are crustaceans that people living in coastal regions love to eat, but left to their devices, the lobsters can survive many decades and grow to ridiculous sizes — particularly the American lobster, which is the largest arthropod species on Earth.
Read on to learn about the largest lobster ever caught and some reasons why these creatures can reach tremendous proportions.
The Unverified Champ (51.5 Pounds, 23.4 kg)
This behemoth lobster was reported to be caught in Maine in 1926. At over 50 pounds (22.7 kg) and nearly 3 feet (0.9 meters) long, this would be the largest lobster specimen anyone has ever seen.
However, the body of the creature was said to be destroyed in transportation, and only one photograph exists today. It's possible that this lobster was cooked up as a hoax to draw in tourism.
5 Lobsters That Were Confirmed as Enormous
The people who caught these giant crustaceans have the receipts to confirm their incredible feats.
Guinness World Records' Largest Lobster (44.4 Pounds, 20 kg)
Caught off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1977, there's no question about the size of this lobster. It currently holds the Guinness World Record for the largest marine crustacean.
Claws to tail, the creature boasted 3.5 feet (1.1 meters) of total length and was estimated to be over 100 years old. Guinness claims that the lobster was sold to a New York restaurateur after being caught.
Mike (42.7 Pounds, 19.4 kg) and Ike (38 Pounds, 17.2 kg)
This beastly pair of American lobsters were said to have been caught somewhere around the Virginia capes in 1934. Since their death, the bodies have been preserved and put on display at the Boston Museum of Science in Massachusetts.
Rocky (27 Pounds, 12.2 kg)
Holding the official title for Maine's largest lobster, Rocky was found in a shrimping net in 2012, taken in for measurements, weighed and subsequently released. (There are now laws in place preventing fishermen from keeping lobsters above a certain size in order to help sustain the population.)
At the time, Rocky was 40 inches (102 cm) long and had claws powerful enough to break a human arm. He may be even bigger today.
Louie (22 Pounds, 10 kg)
Louie the lobster has the distinction of not being caught, but allowed to grow to a massive size in captivity.
For 20 years, Louie was fed and pampered at a New York restaurant called Peter's Clam Bar. A customer reportedly offered the owner $1,000 to take Louie home for dinner, but the owner instead decided to release the giant lobster back to the wild in 2017.
At the time, Louie was estimated to be over 130 years old.
George (20 Pounds, 9.1 kg)
First caught off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, in 2009, big George was estimated to be at least 140 years old. This potentially makes him the oldest lobster specimen ever seen.
George eventually made his way to a seafood restaurant in New York, where he lived for about 10 days. Eventually, a restaurant guest spotted George and recognized him for being a rare find.
The guest petitioned PETA to negotiate for the elder lobster to be released unharmed, and the restaurant owners subsequently relinquished to representatives of PETA. They took George and found him a spot off the coast of Maine to live out the rest of his life in his retirement.
Why the American Lobster Gets So Big
In the animal kingdom, lobsters represent a genetic peculiarity. They do not age in the way that most species, such as humans, do.
As most animals age, their cells and DNA must reproduce constantly in order to replace and expand on old tissue. As we pass adulthood, this DNA has replicated itself many millions of times, and every copy ends up losing a tiny bit of genetic information. Over time, this leads to things that we associate with aging, like wrinkled skin, weaker muscle tissue and genetic conditions like cancer or dementia.
Lobster DNA, on the other hand, can replicate itself flawlessly. This means that American lobsters (Homarus americanus) live a very long time and never stop growing. If not caught by fisherman or eaten by predators, the lobster can live multiple decades and reach weights over 20 pounds (9.1 kg).
Centenarian Crustaceans
The Lobster Institute at the University of Maine dedicates marine resources to the preservation and study of lobsters. This institute says that some lobster specimens may even be over 100 years old. Large lobsters can also be important for the ecosystem as they are more effective at producing young with other lobsters.
In order to heal injuries and grow, lobsters must frequently molt their exoskeletons. Once they reach an advanced age, molting and growth become less common, and the crustaceans are more vulnerable to disease or cracks in their carapace.
Eventually the lobster will die of natural causes, which is likely why super-sized specimens are so rarely caught.
Original article: The Largest Lobster Ever Caught, Plus 6 More Over 20 Pounds
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