What do Lobsters Eat?

Good question... With all of the wonderful choices they have, what DO lobsters eat?

I was wondering the same myself. So, I did a little research and thanks to the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NFSC) and the Maine Aquarium I found some very interesting facts on lobster.

What Lobsters Eat

Although it was once thought that lobsters were scavengers, eating only dead fish, research has determined otherwise. Lobsters actually take good advantage of the fresh seafood buffet that swims alongside them.

What do lobsters eat? With bait as the exception - mussels, crabs, clams, sea urchins and fish are all on their menu. As well as...

...other lobsters of the same species!

Yes, lobsters occasionally like to dine on one another - thus the placement of rubber bands on their claws after harvesting.

It is usually during the nighttime that lobsters are on the prowl for food. Guiding them along the way is a sensory system of four small antennae on their heads, tiny sensing hairs that cover their bodies, and a keen sense of smell. Reportedly a lobster's sense of smell is so refined that they can detect a single amino acid tagging their favorite food.

And in my search for facts about lobsters, I came across the answer to another of my questions...

How do Lobsters Eat?

The way lobsters eat is much the same of most creatures. They catch their prey and put it into their mouths. However...

A lobster's teeth are in its stomach!

Fortunately for the lobster, its stomach is in close proximity to its mouth. The food travels there quickly and is chewed by three grinding surfaces - that look like human molars - called the "gastric mill". The food is then digested and becomes part of what is probably the most sought after crustacean on the planet!

Are the answers to "What do lobster eat?" and "How do lobsters eat?" the same for all types of lobsters? Yes. Although certain fresh fish may be more plentiful in some parts of the world than others, a rock - or spiny lobster - the Maine lobster, and other lobster species, all enjoy a good seafood smorgasbord.