THK AMERICAN LOBSTER. 



79 



THE SHEDDING OF THE SHELL IN THE LOBSTER. 

 THE MOLTING PERIOD. 



The hard-shell lobster is heaviest, has the firmest flesh, is hardiest, standing 

 transportation best, and therefore most valuable for the market. A large percentage 

 of all lobsters taken during the fall and winter months are of this character, and all 

 or nearly all lobsters caught iu March, April, and May belong also to this class. 

 Shedders and soft-shell lobsters are taken in greater or less abundance from June to 

 October, varying somewhat with the season and locality and surrounding conditions, 

 such as the nature of the sea bottom and the temperature of the water. By far the 

 greater number of lobsters in all seasons, and in all places, cast their shells during the 

 months of July, August, and September. However, the time of shedding varies con- 

 siderably on different parts of the coast, being from four to six weeks earlier in some 

 seasons in western Maine than in the extreme eastern section. Shedders are not fit 

 for the market, being lean and watery, and soft lobsters are in a similar condition and 

 will not bear much handling or transportation. Until the shell becomes tolerably 

 hard the soft lobster is in constant danger of attack from its companions, and is 

 easily wounded and killed. Lobsters with very soft shells aud those which have been 

 mutilated are often kept in the lobster preserves or pounds until the shell is hardened 

 or the injury repaired. 



No systematic data have hitherto been gathered at any point along our coast upon 

 t he molting habits of the lobster. I am therefore glad to be able to give the results of 

 a series of daily observations made at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, during the space 

 of seven months, from December 1 to June 30, 1894. During this interval 2,657 

 lobsters were captured in traps set at fixed points in the harbor. As shown in table 

 23,' there was no month in which either shedders or soft lobsters were not caught. 



Table 23. — The molting of the lobster. 



Months. 



Tempera- 

 ture of 



water in 

 harbor. 



No. of 

 days for 

 which 

 average 

 tempera- 

 ture is 

 given. 



Nature of 

 bottom. 



Catch. 



Shell hard 

 and bright. 



Shell hard 

 mid dull. 



Shell soft. 



Male. 



Fern. 



Total. 



Male. 



Fem. 



Male. 



Fem. 



Male. 



Fem. 



December . . . 



January 



February 



March 



April 



May 



J une 



F. 

 37.71 

 35.48 

 32.54 

 37.40 

 42. 52 

 53.65 

 62.20 



14 

 27 

 24 

 27 

 25 

 26 

 25 



Rocky 



do 



....do 

 ....do 

 ....do 

 ....do 

 ....do 



123 

 250 

 116 

 161 

 247 

 197 

 219 



101 

 251 

 130 

 187 

 210 

 237 

 228 



224 

 501 

 246 

 348 

 457 

 434 

 447 



117 

 239 

 115 

 154 

 232 

 194 

 185 



101 

 250 

 130 

 186 

 206 

 236 

 202 



2 

 7 

 

 7 

 14 



3 









 





 



4 



1 

 2 



4 

 4 

 1 

 

 1 

 

 34 





 1 

 

 1 

 

 

 24 



Only one soft-shell lobster was taken in February out of a total catch of 246, and 

 no "shedders" (shell hard and dull) were captured during this month. Again, one 

 soft-shell lobster only was observed in March and April, and none in May. In June, 



'Lobsters with shells "hard and dull" are nearing the molting period; those with "soft shells" 

 have recently shed, and in those with "hard and bright" shells the molting time is most distant. 

 See p. 82. 



