Scientists studying American Lobsters off the coast of New England have confirmed what seafood store owners have known for years. That’s the fact that lobsters are cannibals and love to dine on each other!

Technically lobsters are omnivores. That means they’ll eat just about anything and that includes each other.

When you buy live lobsters you’ll notice that their claws have rubber bands. That’s not just to keep them from biting. It’s to keep them from attacking and eating other lobsters.

At Baystate Lobster Company on Battery Wharf in Boston, the owner told me that one time he came to the store one morning and found a ton of dead lobsters in one of his 8,000 gallon tanks. An extremely large ten pound lobster had found a way to get his rubber band off his crusher claw and had managed to kill and eat a whole bunch of his buddies.

Lobsters, by the way, live a long time. A one year old lobster is usually between 8 and 10 years old. So do the math on a ten pounder and it’s easy to see just how long these critters live.

Many years ago lobsters were so common they were fed to prisoners in New England. Prisoners got so sick and tired of being fed lobster they threatened to riot. At least that’s the way the legend goes in New England!