Lobster served at Thurston's come from the waters right outside our windows.

What is a lobster?

It is a crustacean that has a hard exoskeleton. Lobsters are cold blooded.

What do lobsters eat?

Lobsters are carnivores, (meat eaters). They eat crabs, worms, snails, mussels, flounder, and surprising to most people, other lobsters!

How large to they grow?

They begin as a tiny floating organism. Females lay between several thousand to 100,000 eggs at a time, but only 1% live. The biggest lobster known to be caught was 44 pounds. They can live to be 100 years old. It can take a lobster 7 years to grow 1 pound.

How does a lobster grow?

The lobster grows by molting, or shedding its shell. It will split down its back (look for the line) and the soft shell lobster inside will squeeze out its shell. It will hide now 6-8 weeks until this new shell hardens.

Lobsters come in various color combinations, from the most common reddish green to the rare blue lobster. But they are all bright red once cooked. This lobster has freckles!

What is the difference between soft shell and hard shell?

A soft shell lobster has recently molt or shed. This happens usually late summer in the northeast. It now has extra room in its shell to grow. The empty part of the body is filled with water. This is why soft shell are less expensive. The meat packs the entire shell in a hard shell. The taste difference is actually a personal preference. Most locals look forward to what is known as ‘shedder season’. You should order a soft shell a ¼ pound larger than you would order a hard shell to get the same amount of meat. It still ends up being a great buy. Soft shell meat is sweeter and more tender, whereas, hard shell meat is firm, delectable and not as messy.

Why are the lobster claws different?

The larger claw is called the “crusher claw”. It is used to crush hard things, like shells. The “pincher claw” acts as a shredding tool. Lobsters can be right or left handed. The pincher claw determines this.

When is lobster season?

The lobster season is year round. Lobsters move out to deeper water in the winter making them harder to catch and the weather definitely becomes a factor. Most fishermen will work on their gear during this time.

What does a lobster trap look like?

Diagram of a lobster trap.

What is a buoy?

It is a floating marker that is attached by a rope to the trap on the bottom of the ocean. Each fisherman has a different color marking their traps.

How many traps do the fishermen fish?

Full time fishermen usually have 600-800 traps. They will fish between 300-400 a day, alternating, letting some traps ‘set over’/

Lobster traps stacked waiting to be moved to the water or in for maintenance, an ongoing chore.

What do they use for bait?

Herring usually.

What size can they catch?

There is an over and under measure in Maine. They will measure from the base of the lobster’s eye socket to the end of its carapace. Current measurement is 3¼” to 5”. If the measure is off, they must throw the lobster back.

Lobster is sorted for sale by size. Thurston's sells small (1- 1 ¼ pounds), medium (1 ½ - 1 ¾ pounds) and large (2 pounds & up) lobster.

Nutritional information

Serving size: 1 cup (5oz)
Calories: 142
Protein: 29.7
Fat: 0.6
Carbohydrates: 0.0

Lobster terms

Bullet: no claws
Cull: 1 claw
Chick: 1 pound
Halves: 1 ½ pounder
Jumbo: 2 pounds & up