Maine lobsters, also referred to as American lobsters, are one of two species of lobsters with a pair of large front claws. The Maine lobster, Homarus americanus, is the one that usually finds it way to the American dining table. The other species, the European lobster, is almost identical to the Maine lobster, but is found on the other side of the Atlantic along the coast of Europe.
Contrary to popular belief, Maine lobsters do not feed on dead sea life, but instead feed on fresh fish, mussels and crabs. Maine lobsters have ten pairs of legs. Their extra-large front claws are great aids in cracking open crustaceans and capturing live fish, such as flounder, but are not used for walking. That is the function of the other eight pairs of legs. Over time one of the two front claws will become stronger and used predominantly for crushing prey and fighting. This is called the crusher claw. The other claw, which is quicker and smaller, is called the pincher claw.
The Maine or Atlantic lobster seems to be most abundant in the Gulf of Maine, which is a large body of saltwater that sits between the state of Maine, located within the United States, and Nova Scotia, a province of Canada. At the north end of the Gulf of Maine lies the Bay of Fundy, home to the world's largest tides and a healthy population of Atlantic (Maine) lobsters as well. On the eastern edge of the Gulf of Maine, there is the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. All across the Gulf of Maine, the Maine lobster finds ideal living conditions, ensuring that the species will be gracing American and Canadian dinner tables for years to come.
It is believed that the recent decline of the cod fisheries in the Gulf of Maine and nearby waters has given the Maine lobster a boost in numbers. This is due mainly to the fact that the Atlantic Cod has always been one of the natural predators of the lobster, and so a drastic reduction in the cod population, beginning around 1994, has lead to a dramatic increase in the harvest of the Maine Lobster. At present the Maine Lobster is being caught in record numbers, both in northern New England and Eastern Canada.
Until recently, the Maine lobster has always been considered a "poor man's food." At first the Maine lobster was harvested as a dietary supplement by "commonfolk," who lived along the shores of northern New England and Eastern Canada. By the middle of the 19th century, small lobster fisheries developed with the advent of lobster boats, lobster traps and canned lobster products. Today this seafood industry has grown immensely, so that now the Maine lobster has become an important culinary item for a large number of people.
The size of lobsters is regulated so that each lobster harvested for food has a chance to go through at least one breeding season. A maximum size for lobsters also protects the breeding stock. As a result of these regulations caught lobster always range between one and three pounds in weight. When caught, lobsters are not actually weighed; they are measured with a gauge.
