Lobster, sea-dwelling animal related to the crayfish, shrimp, and crab. Lobster meat is considered a delicacy. Lobsters are caught in both Atlantic and Pacific waters. They are often marketed alive, but their meat is also available frozen or canned. There are several kinds of lobsters; the most important commercially are the American lobster and various species of spiny lobsters. (Spiny lobsters are also known as rock lobsters and marine crayfish.)Lobsteres have five pairs of legs, including the large claws.
Most of the American lobster catch is made in coastal waters off New England, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland by using traps made of wood slats and baited with fish. Spiny lobsters are caught in both Atlantic and Pacific waters, primarily with baited wood or wire traps, or with nets.
Lobsters and other crustaceans inhabit all the world’s major oceans. Although lobsters can be found worldwide, different types of lobster choose different areas in which to live. Many lobsters live in shallow water in the coastal areas around islands. One group of lobsters, called deep-sea lobsters, lives in the cold, deep sea.
American lobsters thrive in the cool waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. These lobsters inhabit sandy, muddy, and rocky areas of the ocean floor from Virginia in the United States to Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. Spiny and slipper lobsters are found in warm waters throughout the world. Spiny lobsters live in coral reefs, on rock ledges, and in crevices. Slipper lobsters are usually found in muddy or sandy places.