Do-or-Die Lobster Situation

Set aside your bib and butter so y'all can appreciate the design of the lobster before you appreciate it with your fork. Crustaceans have a habit of molting their shells so they can grow into new ones, but there is a process that involves many steps. For the lobster, it really is a do-or-die, all-or-nothing situation. It is even more impressive because some of them get comparatively long and heavy. Most do not have great lifespans, but others are can be impressive.

California spiny lobster image credit: US National Park Service
(Usage does not imply endorsement of site contents)

Time is not a luxury when it's time to do the new shell thing. Lobsters grow the new shell under the existing one, breaking out of the old one (partly through bulking up by taking on water), letting the new shell harden, and more. The specified complexity of the process defies evolution and shows the skill of the Master Engineer. By the way, if you ponder on it, it seems that our Creator likes variety in his creatures.

Have you ever dreamed that you were squeezing yourself out of a giant toothpaste tube as the tube slowly tightened around your body? Something similar happens to lobsters, so it’s more of a living nightmare for them. Lobster molting would end in sudden death if God hadn’t provided a solution to their predicament of constantly outgrowing their shells.

To read the rest, click on "Lobsters Get Comfortable in Their New Skin".