Females Lobsters mate during the soft-shell phase after molting. The courtship process is a little odd.
Before molting, the female approaches a male’s den and stands outside, releasing her scent in a stream of urine. When he emerges from his den, the two spar briefly, then the female places her claws on his head to let him know she is ready to molt and mate.
They enter his bachelor pad, and she languidly strips off her shell. He tenderly turns her limp, yielding body over onto her back with his legs and his mouth.
The male, still hard-shelled and passionate, passes his sperm into her body with a pair of rigid and grooved swimmerets, small appendages normally used for swimming.
Afterward, she sinks into the soft warmth of the ocean bed and stays in the safety of his den for about a week. When her new shell is hard again, she calls a cab and goes home.
The sperm she received from the male goes into a special repository, where it stays viable for two years. When she decides that conditions are right to settle down and have a family, she fertilizes her eggs, numbering from 3,000 to 100,000.
She carries them first in her body, then for another nine to twelve months under the swimmerets attached to her tail until they hatch. Her larvae float for a month after hatching, then settle to the bottom of the ocean to turn into lobsters proper.
Still, their odds are not good, for every 100,000 eggs hatched, 4 to 6 typically survive long enough to get up to a one-pound weight.
Related Posts
-
How do Bald Eagles Mate and Reproduce and Do They Mate in Mid-Air?
High up in the air above the treetops, the two Bald Eagle lovers look deep into each others eyes. They then suddenly twist around, locking their talons together and holding onto each other…
-
How are Brown Eggs Healthier Than White Eggs and Which Chicken Lays Blue, Green and Spotted Eggs?
Brown eggs being healthier than white eggs is a stupid myth that started because people assumed that brown foods like breads, sugar, flours are healthier than white ones. In fact, the fictional James…
-
What is the Difference between Brown Eggs and White Eggs and Are Fertilized Eggs More Nutritious?
Unfortunately, we agree with every other printed dissertation on eggs to assure you that no differences in flavor or nutrition have been found between brown eggs and white eggs. Just as brown-skinned people…
-
How do Marsupials Mate and Reproduce with Forked Penises and Two Vaginas to Separate Uteruses?
Male marsupials do have very strange forked penises. The other strange thing is that their testicles generally lie in front of their penises instead of in back like other mammals. So how do…
-
How Long Does a Walrus Live For and Do Walruses Mate and Reproduce on Land or in the Water?
Walruses usually live to a ripe old age of about 20–30 years old in the wild. Male Walruses do not usually mate until fully developed around 15 years of age, about 8 years…
-
How Did the Bear Get its Name, What Does it Mean, And How Do Bears Mate and Reproduce?
Bears are mammals of the Ursidae family, and can be found in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Bears are usually solitary animals and diurnal, meaning they are active during the day…
