How Do Lobsters Survive the Winter? Detailed Guide to Overwintering Management

Lobster is a precious seafood, generally inhabiting the offshore seabed or shore of warm oceans. Its flesh is white and tender, delicious in taste, high in protein, low in fat, and rich in nutrients, and many people enjoy eating it. So, how do lobsters survive the winter?

1. How do lobsters survive the winter?

Place the lobsters in a relatively deep breeding pond, and build a windbreak wall or cold-proof shed at the northwest corner of the pond; or deepen the water level to maintain the water temperature of the pond. Before overwintering, feed them more animal feed to strengthen their constitution; during the overwintering period, feed them animal-based bait to supplement nutrition. Change the water regularly to maintain sufficient dissolved oxygen in the water; disinfect the water body regularly to prevent diseases.

2. How many legs does a lobster have?

A lobster has 8 legs and 2 claws. Its thorax has 5 pairs of walking legs; the ends of the 1st-3rd pairs of walking legs are pincer-shaped, the ends of the 4th-5th pairs of walking legs are claw-shaped, and the 2nd pair of walking legs is particularly well developed and becomes very large chelae.

3. Is the lobster oviparous or viviparous?

The lobster is oviparous.

In the natural environment, it reaches sexual maturity at 6-12 months of age, and under artificial rearing conditions it can reach sexual maturity at 6 months. When the water temperature rises above 20°C, the parent lobsters begin to spawn, and they can spawn 3-4 times a year, generally laying 300-1,000 eggs each time.

The fertilized eggs adhere to the female's abdominal appendages for embryonic development, and hatch into larvae after 5-8 weeks. The newly hatched lobster larvae have basically the same body structure as the adult, with an average body length of about 9.5 mm, and they continue to cling to the female's abdominal appendages for 1-2 weeks, then live independently after 3 weeks.