Why do some lobsters have claws and some not? joe sees the lobster's nose The answer lies in the type of lobster you have. Two kinds of lobster-like crustaceans exist in U.S. waters: the true or American lobster and the spiny lobster. The true lobster has claws on the first four legs, found in the waters off of eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. It also has the distinctive a large crusher and a pincher claw. The spiny or rock lobster lacks these claws and has a pair of horns above the eyes. It is found in warm waters off Florida, in the West Indies, off southern California, and the coast of southern Europe. Because the spiny lobster tends to be a social scavenger it does not need claws. The American lobster, however, is solitary and very territorial. It actively hunts and kills fish, eels, and even other lobsters. So it needs a lobster weapon -- the claw! (This is not meant to be social commentary on American vs European society, but I guess it could apply...) Other good lobster questions: Q. How can you tell the difference between male and female lobster? A. Female lobsters generally are wider in the upper dorsal tail region. This allows room in the tail to store the premature eggs. Females can also be distinguished by their soft, thin set of first pleopods (swimmerets). Males have a hard, thicker set of first pleopods, and have smaller hard appendages (masculina) attached to their second set of pleopods. (Stop picturing lobster porn, please!) Q. Do lobsters have blood? A. Yes, a clear or white blood with a slight bluish tint is pumped through the body of the lobster by the heart. The blue tint is caused by copper, which is used as the oxygen carrier in the blood. Human's red colored blood is due to iron being the oxygen carrier. When claws, legs, or antennas of lobster are ripped off, or the shell is cracked or punctured, the lobster can be weakened and even die from the loss of blood. Q. Why do lobsters turn red when they are cooked? A. Live lobsters are usually bluish green in color. On rare occasions, one is landed that is orange, yellow, or blue. The lobster's color is caused by pigments in the shell. When the lobster is cooked, all of the color pigments are masked except the red background color. More here: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/faq/fishfaq7.html << in the beginning.. Got a stupid question for Joe? Email it to him! Content & Photos © 2004 Laura Laytham, laura@girlsaresmarter.com.