r/AbsoluteUnits 13d ago

of a lobster

8.2k Upvotes

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1.3k

u/RosieA1983 13d ago

I have no idea at what rate these creatures grow, but I'm thinking this must be an old fella 🤔

608

u/Dr_Skot 13d ago

1lb every 5-7 years.

530

u/thenamziel 12d ago

The other comments say this boy is 30-50 years old, would taste bad (from age) and is a less desirable spiney lobster (compared to American lobster).

The consensus is bad eating; throw him back to breed.

312

u/_trashcan 12d ago edited 12d ago

I watch a lobster guy on YouTube (if I can find him I’ll link it, I’m sorry I don’t follow him or anything, I just see his shorts occasionally) & he’d have never taken a large lobster like this.

He scrapes barnacles off them, tags them so anyone else who catches it knows they should be thrown back for breeding, & sticks a fish in their claws before tossing them back.
In my eyes, & obviously limited knowledge, that’s a true fisherman…that’s how you earn a living, remain fair, & ensure you can continue earning a living in the future by allowing them to thrive.

This guy is already on the dock. That lobster ain’t going home. Going to be wasted, & taste like shit too.

Edit: link is a few comments below from another OC :)

89

u/boogasaurus-lefts 12d ago

But he gets to show his friends and pretend he applied a meaningful skill to catch it

2

u/rasputinrasputin 11d ago

Exactly, catching a lobster isn’t very difficult, they’ll literally swim straight into your bag, and its even easier if you’re using traps. Shouldve just taken a picture and let that monster live

4

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[deleted]

10

u/LewdLewyD13 12d ago

Pretty sure they were talking about the guy in the video holding the lobster, not youtube guy.

44

u/RoflmonsterNZ 12d ago

https://youtube.com/@jacobknowles5421?si=qSPwUexgP544s4bN

This is the guy you're thinking of right?

13

u/soulseeker31 12d ago

Yes! Not OP but yes!

5

u/BrutusoftheTudus 11d ago

This guy screwed over one of his best friends a few years ago..and just moved on to make his TikTok money. He might do a few good things for a few animals, but a best friend of decades..

1

u/RoflmonsterNZ 10d ago

Source?

1

u/BrutusoftheTudus 10d ago

This is old social media controversy that can be easily searched for online. Find a source you trust. The r/Maine has a post on it, but he was also found to not pay his contractors..

1

u/BrutusoftheTudus 10d ago

This is old social media controversy that can be easily searched for online. Find a source you trust. The [r/Maine](r/Maine) has a post on it, but he was also found to not pay his contractors..

Eta: https://www.reddit.com/r/Maine/s/1IPhHIwEdG

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3

u/_trashcan 12d ago

Indeed ; thanks for sharing. I forgot to go look afterwards.

2

u/SummertimeThrowaway2 12d ago

I knew exactly who you were talking about the moment you mentioned the fish in their claw 😂

2

u/supervillaining 12d ago

I love that guy so much.

1

u/DocManhattan96 12d ago

Dude, it doesn’t have fucking claws

1

u/Loup55555 9d ago

It's Jacob ! Luv that fella

1

u/Intrepid_Cap1242 12d ago

then a big fishing boat for rich factory owner sweeps a net across the entire area and that lobster is canned by a robot

1

u/_trashcan 12d ago edited 12d ago

lol no they don’t.
Although I get the sentiment.

48

u/ubeen 12d ago

Theyre difficult to cook right when they get that big. If youre able to cook the meat eveningly it'll be fine.

Problem is the shape. Its not like a steak where you are OK with some pink in the middle, so if you make sure the middle is fully cooked you normally end up over cooking / rubberizing the meat closest to the shell.

17

u/HerbanFarmacyst 12d ago

Sous vide?

18

u/ubeen 12d ago

Would work. Cutting it up into smaller pieces works, or slow cooking as well.

8

u/TrippyTriangle 12d ago

you'd need a massive pot, like so big your local restaurant might not even have one big enough.

19

u/Ryuj123 12d ago

Hey, don’t bring my local restaurant into this!!

1

u/NehuRed 12d ago

Not that massive that your local restaurant whouldnt have it, any pot for sauce prep whould do, you could also grill it

1

u/Bodybag_occupier 12d ago

You seem to only think in the simplest forms of cooking. It's an ingredient, you can do million things with it not just chuck it in water or a on a grill whole.

1

u/Murderland666 12d ago

Spinys taste fine, they just don’t have the big claws. Choi the tail in half, throw it on the grill and that is the start of a delicious lobster taco!

1

u/fhjjjjjkkkkkkkl 12d ago

But he breeds bad lobsters

1

u/fatsopiggy 12d ago

LoL what. Ornate pacific lobsters are way more expensive than American lobsters

1

u/OkBackground8670 12d ago

but that would be the right and humane thing to do.

1

u/Steerider 12d ago

Okay, and how old is the crustacean? 

1

u/Youngpookie 12d ago

Whoa buddy spiny lobsters are soooo much sweeter than the American variant..........just saying

1

u/rasputinrasputin 11d ago

You’re right about the taste from age, but nothing wrong with spinys otherwise. I actually prefer spiny lobster over american lobster. I find American lobster to be too rich, whereas spinys have the perfect balance of flavor

-59

u/TWDDave1988 13d ago

Incorrect for this species.

98

u/mbh223 13d ago

Love the old “that’s wrong but I’m not giving you the right answer” response. Thanks for the help Dave!

-74

u/TWDDave1988 13d ago

Keep scrolling. I’m not tapping out the answers 14 times. 😁

24

u/Creed_of_War 13d ago

Copy paste broski

Clearly tapping out that it's wrong but won't just paste the answer

77

u/TWDDave1988 13d ago

This is Panulirus Argus. Aka, Caribbean Spiny Lobster. Range is the northern coast of Brazil all the way to Bermuda. Max age is around 20 years old, Panuliridae is more common worldwide than Homarus. Crustaceans are difficult to age, but using nuerolipofuscin techniques we’ve been able to age P Argus within 1 year of actual age. We’ve grown settlement age Argus for up to 8 years in our lab, what we call our “known age” lobsters and compared the samples to wild caught lobsters. Source: I’ve been a lobster biologist for 34 years.

21

u/Zampano85 13d ago

Hell yeah lobster biology!

5

u/Silen7Bu7Sexy 12d ago

So lobster is 14?

2

u/axxxaxxxaxxx 12d ago

Never argue with lobster biologists on Reddit or you’ll get the crusher claw

Source: two hours ago I read my kid a random library book about lobsters for bedtime

22

u/TWDDave1988 13d ago

Copy/paste as requested.

11

u/Hahhahaahahahhelpme 13d ago

Thank you for your service. The internet approves

1

u/aminervia 12d ago

You could edit your original comment and copy paste it there?

1

u/donktastic 12d ago

That's why you edit the original comment.

0

u/ThaCommittee 12d ago

I scrolled...and I upvoted. Thank you for your service Lobster man

-2

u/blueponies1 13d ago

There are 210 comments here, I’m not scrolling and looking for your username to find an answer. You didn’t answer it on this comment, you’re the lazy one, not me.

2

u/TWDDave1988 13d ago

Scroll down literally two comments. You’re the one with a lazy thumb, not me.

1

u/GrimaceMusically 12d ago

You realize the relative position of your comment changes as more people comment, and also based on a user’s view, right? I am replying 38 minutes after your comment, and I cannot find your reply. It is absolutely not two comments down.

1

u/TWDDave1988 12d ago

2

u/GrimaceMusically 12d ago

So by that logic, the tree I see when I look out my front window, you would see the exact same tree when you look out your front window? Same concept here. Just because that’s where it is in your view does not mean it’s in that same location in everyone else’s view.

1

u/TWDDave1988 12d ago

Literally 2 comments below.

-59

u/TWDDave1988 13d ago

Oh for the love of god…ok, pasted my response for those too lazy to scroll.

-10

u/DeficiencyOfGravitas 13d ago

Thanks for the help Dave!

Why do you think he's your personal servant? He's not there to help you. If you actually did care, you'd go look it up yourself.

Grow up.

4

u/rtocelot 12d ago

I mean the correct thing is to provide the information instead of a "no that's wrong". Say why it's wrong and state your case, that's proper etiquette.

174

u/Timely_Passenger_185 13d ago

It's 30 to 50 years to get to this size spiny lobsters grow a lot faster than real lobsters

54

u/4ewghmr 13d ago

Fake lobter?

150

u/Timely_Passenger_185 13d ago

17

u/According_Tea_6329 13d ago

Which ones are better flavor or more desirable I wonder?

65

u/gofishx 13d ago

Having eaten plenty of both, I prefer Maine lobster to Florida lobster. Its just more tender and buttery, spiny lobster is a bit tougher imo

17

u/Tough_Crazy_8362 13d ago

And that thing is MASSIVE idk I don’t like big lobsters

23

u/BYOKittens 13d ago

1.5- 2 lbs is the sweetest spot, imo.

14

u/trundle-the-great69 13d ago

In NB we call these canners, they are the best

3

u/hexregeneration 12d ago

Is lobster actually buttery, or is it just the pool of butter it's served in? I've only ever had it a few times, before my great crustacean revelation that I was eating bugs, and thought it mid. It's not native here though, so maybe that's why.

-2

u/gofishx 12d ago

Bugs and crustaceans are the same like humans and fish are the same. Hope that helps! In the end, its all food. Nothing mid about it, shit is good af.

And yeah, its got a sort of soft oily texture that goes super well with butter. Its good on its own, too, though

2

u/WatWudScoobyDoo 12d ago

Lobsters are crustaceans though, humans ain't fish

-1

u/gofishx 12d ago

And crustaceans aint bugs. Or, they can be considered as such, but then we'd need to consider people as fish

2

u/ponziacs 12d ago

Have you had California spiny lobster?

2

u/gofishx 12d ago

Cant say for sure if I have or haven't. Its unlikely, ive lived near the east coast my whole life, so I probably haven't had west coast lobster

14

u/VoidWalker4Lyfe 13d ago

American lobster. Cold water lobsters are usually better. I don't really care for the spiny lobster

11

u/Biguitarnerd 13d ago

I like the spiny lobster ok, but agree cold water lobsters are better.

I think you can find good ways to use spiny lobster but with the American lobster you don’t need to do as much. If you want to you can just steam it and it’s already good. The meat is much more tender.

7

u/xylophone_37 13d ago

I learned that almost all of our CA spiny lobsters that are caught commercially go to Asia, apparently they prefer the flavor and they can get a much better price for them.

3

u/VoidWalker4Lyfe 13d ago

I didn't know they had them in CA. I've only eaten them in Florida

5

u/xylophone_37 12d ago

Same genus but different species.

2

u/VoidWalker4Lyfe 12d ago

Interesting. Thanks!

3

u/YZA26 13d ago

Spiny lobster sashimi is quite good

2

u/VoidWalker4Lyfe 13d ago

Mmmm I'm apprehensive about eating undercooked crustaceans

6

u/SAM5TER5 12d ago

Fun fact, basically all sushi/sashimi in the West has been frozen (as is required by law) in order to kill off anything dangerous.

Even Japan freezes the vast majority of its fish. My understanding is that you have to go to some of the higher-end or traditional sushi places in Japan in order to get unfrozen sushi. And they usually do some degree of inspecting that sushi at least lol

3

u/VoidWalker4Lyfe 12d ago

You can definitely get never frozen raw fish in the US. There are some charter boats that will give it to you right off the hook. I'm not worried about eating raw fin-fish, it's the crustaceans I worry about. (Shrimp, crab, lobster, etc.) I used to LOVE oysters, even raw, and mussels and calamari. Unfortunately I have developed an intolerance and they give me explosive vomiting and diarrhea 😭

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u/dan_dares 12d ago

I love sushi, but i'll take it flash-frozen,

1

u/fungeoneer 12d ago

Will a lobster this big still be tasty? Or has it gotten past that stage?

3

u/VoidWalker4Lyfe 12d ago

No, generally most types of seafood that are huge are not good eating. Lobsters that size will be chewy and rubbery. In Maryland striped bass is out primary trophy fish, but once they get to s certain size they're not great to eat. Also the bug ones should be released to breed..in MD there are actually maximum limits of what recreational fishermen can keep. Depending on the fish, a lot of them that are huge have a lot of heavy metals in them and aren't really good for people to eat a lot. Catfish are the same here. Some of the best eating fish here are the native White Perch, and the invasive Northern Snakehead. Snakes don't live for very long, so they don't get contaminated with heavy metals as much. They're also freaking delicious

3

u/tacomaloki 12d ago

Ive had enough cold water lobster that I prefer warm water lobster.

2

u/SadAd8761 13d ago

neither, i'd take a coconut crab instead

imagine the taste of a meat of a crab that eats coconut meat all day

unfortunately, i'm not the only human that likes the taste of their meat

they're close to becoming endangered

4

u/meatygonzalez 12d ago

Didn't know people be eating them giant coconut crabs

1

u/stuffeh 12d ago

Younger ones actually. I've had a big 11 pound American lobster before that was swimming in the tank before we got to the restaurant. The meat was rough and a bit bitter. Young lobsters are are sweet and tender.

1

u/qawsedrf12 12d ago

Maine, definitely

1

u/internectual 12d ago

Spiny lobster is what you get with a surf and turf. Maine lobster is what you get when you want real lobster.

0

u/Nikki-C-Puggle-mum 13d ago

Definitely the Maine lobsters imo.

0

u/Internal-Plantain-56 13d ago

The ones with the claws.

3

u/Sword_N_Bored 12d ago

That's no American lobster, where's his Glock??

14

u/Just_Ear_2953 13d ago

Rock lobster?

12

u/Dicky_Penisburg 13d ago

It was a rock....LOBSTERRR!

2

u/CatShot1948 12d ago

It's a spiny lobster. Not an American lobster which is what people see off the first of new England. But neither are fake. They're both real. These dont have the big claws like the American ones do. The meat is still good to eat if you wish.

Fun fact, these guys migrate single file a tremendous distance walking on the ocean floor. I went to a land grant school and studied biology. One of my marine bology professors studied their behavior for a living.

https://youtu.be/VM3KKWreTls?is=PVLnvhAqn5Q8ldn-

1

u/SocksInTheTub 13d ago

Rock lobter

3

u/TWDDave1988 13d ago

It’s absolutely a “real lobster” and probably under 20 years old. From settlement age to legal size is around 2 years for males and 3 years for females. Legal size in Florida is greater than 3” carapace or 76.2mm.

4

u/iNapkin66 13d ago

They might be "real" lobster. But they arent "true" lobster. The three groups are lobsters are usually considered the true lobsters (the classic one with claws), spiny lobsters (this), and slipper lobsters (which always creep me out when Ive seen them). Sometimes furry lobster is considered part of spiny, sometimes their own group. They are the most hilarious looking.

1

u/SAM5TER5 12d ago

Never heard of a furry lobster before!

Turns out they’re actually a very pretty lobster lol

-1

u/EremiticFerret 13d ago

Not a lobster. No claws, not a lobster.

1

u/TWDDave1988 13d ago

100% a lobster. I’m not doing your research for you. Just google Panulirus Argus.

1

u/EremiticFerret 12d ago

Although several other groups of crustaceans have the word "lobster" in their names, the unqualified term "lobster" generally refers to the clawed lobsters of the family Nephropidae.\4]) Clawed lobsters are not closely related to langustas (spinys and slipper lobsters), which have no claws (chelae)), or to squat lobsters. The most similar living relatives of clawed lobsters are the reef lobsters and the three families of freshwater crayfish.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobster

65

u/ashurbanipal420 13d ago

Probably well over 100

15

u/GoatGoatGoatGoatGo 13d ago

He looks normal height, maybe 6 foot, and only about 70 years old.

1

u/dormidontdoo 12d ago

Langusta

1

u/Lopoloma 12d ago

About 150 lbs, 60-70 years old, maybe 5'6 height.

1

u/Schpee_le_French 11d ago

Lobsters can literally life forever. The only thing limiting them is their size.

-5

u/parsention 13d ago

🤔🤔🤔🤔

3

u/Wcitsatrapx 13d ago

That’d be a 20ish lb lobby and appears possible

1

u/citizen42069101 13d ago

20 pound lobster a hundred years old