96 ABOUT LOBSTERS 



sequently, this requires special methods for oxygen sup- 

 ply as well as filters and a strong water circulation. It 

 has been found that the dung products of a one-pound 

 lobster stored for about a week in 26 quarts of sea water 

 (which was not changed during the week) at a tem- 

 perature of 60° F. consumes approximately almost three 

 times as much as the oxygen consumption of the lobster 

 itself. 



When the lobster has lived for some time at a high 

 temperature (60°F.-68°F.), its quality deteriorates. Ex- 

 periments have proved, however that— strangely enough 

 —there is almost no weight reduction in lobsters stored 

 up to two months 



After a long period of storage, it has been experi- 

 enced that the texture of the meat has a tendency to 

 change— it becomes more "filamentous" [stringy]. It 

 has been discussed if it was more advantageous to feed 

 the animals in order to avoid this deterioration of tex- 

 ture; feeding can take place, as the lobsters are quite 

 willing to eat at high temperature. At low temperature 

 (for instance, 41°F. ), they refuse to eat. It is, however, 

 rather difficult to distribute the food evenly in a tank 

 containing a large amount of lobsters and the water 

 may become polluted in doing so. From the above- 

 mentioned experiments, the following conclusions can 

 be drawn: the oxygen consumption of a well-fed lob- 

 ster is doubled compared to that of an unfed lobster 

 stored at the same temperature. The amount of dung 

 products, which more or less equals the consumption of 

 oxygen, is estimated to be doubled, i.e., the oxygen con- 

 sumption of the whole system (lobster plus water) is 

 doubled. In addition, the left-over food also consumes 

 oxygen. It is, of course, impossible to give a definite 

 figure, but it is estimated to be quite high, judging by 

 the way the lobsters devour their food. When lobsters 

 are being fed with the meat of a herring, they tear it to 

 shreds which almost form a cloud around the eating 

 animals causing putrefaction to set in. It is, therefore, 



