IV 



Artificial Sea Water for Inland Tanks 1 



The need for artificial sea water stems from inland 

 restaurants and fish dealers desiring to stock and exhibit live 

 lobsters. Today, lobsters are a luxury food, and if they can- 

 not be shown as alive much of their appeal is lost. 



It would be of enormous gain to the lobster industry if 

 the keeping of live lobsters away from the sea should be- 

 come more commonplace. The scope of the market would 

 be tremendously increased, and would be less a matter of 

 feast or famine than it is today. Wherever there is competi- 

 tion for an article of limited supply, the price rises. Think 

 of what this could mean to lobstermen. 



The use of artificial sea water is well known, and it is 

 practiced by several successful lobster dealers. It can pre- 

 serve lobsters just as well as natural sea water, if all the re- 

 quirements are met. 



In order to create the best possible storage condi- 

 tions for live lobster, it is suggested first of all to look at 

 its natural habitat. The lobster lives in salt water and 

 can only stand a relatively small change in the salt con- 

 centration of the water. A concentration of about 25 

 per 1000 salt or more seems to be necessary for the lob- 

 ster's well-being. 



The greater part of the year the lobster lives at 

 low temperatures (41°F.-50°F.) and it only seeks 

 warmer water (approximately 60° F.) in the short 

 spawning period. As the lobster eats sparsely in the 

 cold period of the year, it is difficult to lure it into the 

 lobster traps during this time. 



Although the lobster requires an almost constant 

 salt concentration in the water, it is capable of getting 



Research Bulletin No. 11 (1953) by John S. Getchell of Sea and Shore Fish- 

 eries is devoted to this subject. Another bulletin, " Storage of Live Lob- 

 sters," by F. Bramsnaes and Jan Boetius, was published in 1953 by the 

 Physiological Laboratory, Charlottenlund, Denmark. Its studies were made 

 with the English lobster, which is almost identical with the lobster of New 

 England and Canada. 



