Pet Lobsters: They Aren't Just for Dinner

Lobster make up the phylum arthropoda. This phylum consists of the shrimp, crab and lobster species. Living an independent lifestyle, either commensal, parasitic or mutualistic in their coexistence with all other marine life. The lobster family consists of three distinct kinds: spiny, slipper and true lobster. Lobster live in areas where live rock is greatest to support their feeding habits and offer shelter from predators such as certain fish and octopus.

Scavengers by nature, lobster will feed upon pretty much everything living or dead, though care must be taken to not introduce these crustaceans into a tank housing large angels, triggers, puffers, groupers, large wrasses and lionfish will greedily attack a lobster. Lobster will eat any type of meaty fare as well as the occasion vegetable matter to balance out their diet.

Some of the better choices of lobster suited for a captive environment are the Slipper (which is probably the least aggressive of the lobster family), Hairy, Hawaiian Red and Spiny Blue which are all endemic to the Pacific. Their cryptic nature and beautiful coloration along with their interesting behavior will afford someone wishing to expand and diversify their existing tank collection a fine opportunity to do so. Their secretiveness should not be a deterrent in attempting to keep one of these creatures, for their rewards outweigh this drawback.

The Blue Spiny lobster is a very beautiful lobster. It displays a blue, black and white interchangeable coloration pattern along its elongated body carapace with think, long, brilliant white antennae and black protruding eyes. The Red hairy lobster is depicted as a vibrant red color throughout with small white blotches. The slipper lobster is an interesting character that looks like something out of a science fiction movie. They have broad, flat bodies with a subdued drab coloration. However, this is not the reason for their demand in the marine hobby! Their being docile, interesting and undemanding crustaceans is what makes these lobsters a hit. They are not considered as opportunistic omnivores like their brethren. Their are roughly 70 known species of slipper lobster as well, though their frequency in the hobby is slim for some reason.

When it comes to water parameter issues, stability is high on the list. They require high calcium and alkalinity levels and stable salinity in the range of 1.022-1.024. The presence of coral, live rock, or other form off carbonaceous matter is essential to their overall long term success as well. Efficient and effective skimming is crucial as these crustaceans as they excrete copious amounts of waste(ammonia). Care should be employed to limit the likelihood of overfeeding, which decreases water quality as well as lowering the salinity level of your water. Lobster have gills used to respire ammonia which, in a short period of time, can elevate dramatically and suddenly to toxic levels possibly killing your lobster. A carbon addition and a weekly water change will afford you to keep a good grasp on this potentially dangerous situation.

Lobsters are a disease resistant animal for the most part. They do not contract ich, marine velvet, or other maladies often associated with other marine life forms. As long as your water parameters are ideal, you should have no problem in maintaining a lobster in a captive environment for years to come.

One last thing regarding lobster is the fact that they are what is known as "iso-osmotic" meaning that they produce urine(ammonia-uric acid) equal in water pressure to that of their blood. This is influenced by the salinity of the surrounding water. An addition of a skimmer will help to rid this as well as the water change regimen as stated above.

Lobsters, if given the chance, can instill some excitement, wonderment and enjoyment for years to come. Their cryptic nature, size, color and pattern combined with their diverse taxonomic makeup could make a fine addition to those wishing for something different to maintain in a specialize marine environment.