lobster: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Sep. 26, 2026

Photos and Videos

American lobster

A man in rubber gloves and yellow apron stands on a lobster boat in Maine, hauling a wooden lobster trap from the sea near the boat's edge.

lobster fishing, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada

palinurid lobster life cycle

American lobster (Homarus americanus)

Why do lobsters change color when cooked?

Observe social interactions of bottlenose dolphins at Scandola Nature Reserve on the coast of Corsica, also home to crabs and lobsters and other marine life

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

Do lobsters mate for life?slipper lobster Homaridae spiny lobster scampi seafood crayfish lobster pot decapod crab shrimp

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

Animal Group Names

Lion (panthera leo)

Deadliest Animals Quiz

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is seen in Switzerland on December 2024

Animal Factoids

Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)

Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz