Lobster rolls are a waste of time, money, and lobsters

I've said it before and I'll say it again: lobster rolls are a waste of stomach space. Why spend money on lobster that's drowned in mayonnaise and miscellaneous spices and thrown on a bun when you could have fresh boiled lobster with liquid gold aka melted butter? Isn't the point of eating lobster to enjoy the taste of lobster? If you want mayo on a bun there are so many better things to eat: BLTs for example! (PS, I feel the same way about lobster macaroni and cheese. Just, no.)

leave the lobster roll, take the fried clams

(does anyone else wish they were cannoli?)
(photo source: yelp)

Where is this rant coming from? Recently different groups have been cracking down on seafood fraud - the mislabeling of food as higher quality products. For example, an Oceana study found that 43% of salmon sold in restaurants and grocery stores from places like New York and Chicago were mislabeled, and the most common wrongful ID was calling farmed salmon "wild-caught". That's a HUGE no-no for this wild-caught Alaskan salmon-loving gal!

Where lobster rolls come in is that another study by Inside Edition showed that many restaurants selling lobster rolls, lobster ravioli, and other heavily-processed lobster dishes are actually serving cheap lobster substitutes like "langostino" (aka squat lobsters, which you may know are more closely related to crabs than true lobsters). Less egregious but equally shady is serving actual lobster cut with other things like whiting, a common name for several white-meat fish like pollock or hake.

In the investigation, one third of the tested "lobster" meat was mislabelled! And the thing is, most people probably couldn't tell because their "lobster" was smothered in mayo! So I don't feel too bad for people who were bamboozled, but I think it's wrong nonetheless. An interesting point that was raised during this investigation is that one restaurateur said they did nothing wrong with mixing fish in to their lobster roll: (A) some people just use a frozen pre-mixed melange of seafood, of which lobster makes up an unknown percentage, for their lobster rolls, and (B) mixing lobster with things like surimi (that fake crab meat made from ground up pollock) and selling it as "lobster salad" should just imply to you, the costumer, that you're getting more than what you're paying for (and by "more" I mean "less"). And I'm not really knocking surimi - I like California rolls as much as the next person, and I was an observer in a fish processing plant that made surimi, so I've seen it from start to finish!

Mmmm, I can still smell the ground pollock from here!

Anyway, do yourself a favor: next time you want lobster, just order the whole thing with a side of garlic butter, put on a bib, and enjoy pure crustaceany goodness!

this is how you do it! (shananana-na-nana)

(photo from Honestly Yum)

Crab Carpet!

Red tuna crabs (Pleuroncodes planipes) have washed up on Californian shores!

(photo from here)

Cue the line for cocktail sauce! These little crabs are actually squat lobsters (similar to my favorite squat lobster, the yeti crab), and are also called 'langostilla'. They get the name 'tuna crab' because they're a favorite meal for tuna! (Mmmm, crab-stuffed tuna...) Anyways, warm ocean currents may have carried them too close to shore for these little guys to avoid getting beached, but this happens sometimes when they swarm together in order to mate. So... that didn't go so well for them...

(photo: John Gibbins)

Read more about other crab strandings here and here, and here for krill!

Wish Larry Luck!

Watch out, ladies, Larry's on the loose in Long Island Sound!

Mo' lobster, mo' problems?

When I worked for the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation, one of my jobs was to catch and tag lobsters in Long Island Sound. With each lobster I handled, I'd wish it a "Good luck! Make babies!" Maybe they've been doing that in Maine too, because apparently the lobster population is BOOMING up there! Which is super exciting, right?

"I don't know what they want from ME.

It's like the more lobsters we come across,

the more problems we see."

I recently came across an article by R. W. A. Rodger writing for Canadian Marine Publication titled "American Lobster: Management Success and Market Calalmity". Rodger outlines the struggle between a large lobster population and a depressed economy. It's partially a problem of supply and demand: with such a large supply, the demand isn't as high, and the price of lobster has fallen. In his article, the price per pound is dropping below the cost of the fishery (think fuel, labor, bait, etc.), making it difficult for fishermen to even get out on the water.

 

all dressed up and no where to go

(photo from here)

So how can this be fixed? Some are saying to limit the fishery to decrease the supply of lobster into the market. But others are worried that, with a lower total allowable catch will come greater population growth, and the "problem" of a super-healthy population will be exacerbated. Another option is to open up recreational lobster fisheries, but honestly, who wants to be a weekend warrior against these guys:

OK, so these guys look pretty nice,

but they're not all so... friendly

What do you think Maine should do? I suggest you go out, buy some lobster, and think it over. Let me know what you come up with!

Team Pinchy

This past weekend I was outside enjoying the sun, just minding my own business, when all of a sudden I saw this:

What the? Are those? Yes!

Yes, they are people dressed up as crustaceans!

(Obviously, they were the only thing standing out in this picture.)

I just happened to be at the High Gravity Games, an outdoor extravaganza hosted by Alaskan Brewing Company at the Eaglecrest Ski Area benefiting the Red Cross. This crusty crew was honoring Pinchy, that famous lobster of Simpson's lore:

 Homer with his beloved Pinchy

And boy did they commit! Check out the crustacean style in action:

flying lobster!

the last leg of the Start-Up Cup relay was a human dogsled team

smooth finish (like butter?)

Have you been inspired to dress up like a crustacean recently (like Jenni last Halloween)? If so, was it a team event or did you let your crab flag fly solo?

it's OK to love crustaceans! (no matter what Marge thinks)

Somebody get a Paula-Deen-amount of butter!

Have you seen this guy?!?!?!?

Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!

I mentioned shrimp bycatch a bit here (or at least the unsustainable nature of most shrimp trawl fisheries), but I never imagined anything like this guy! "Rocky", the 27 pounder pictured above, was caught off of Maine in a shrimp net!

that's about the same size as a 3-year-old me!

The fishermen, knowing they can't keep any lobsters greater than 5 inches carapace length, brought him in to the Maine State Aquarium to share their find (and probably brag a little!). Rocky far exceeds the size limit, with an overall length of 40 inches! His crusher claw is so huge, if you had come across him while SCUBA diving there is a very real chance he could break your arm! How did he get that big? Remember, crustaceans grow each time they molt and lobsters have continuous molting (unlike snow crabs), so as long as they're alive, each time they molt, they get a bit bigger.

watch out little one: he could break you in half!

Luckily for Rocky, the behemoth lobster was released back into the Atlantic to live out his lobster days in freedom. Guess we won't be needing this, Paula:

(so many amazing things...)

Valentine's Day Lobster Craft

Valentine's Day is coming up and I know you want to make something special for that lucky person/pet/study animal in your life. I was inspired by these cards I bought for my sister 2 Christmases ago from the wonderful Alaskan artist Sarah Asper-Smith (of Smack of Jellyfish fame):

The idea is she takes an Alaskan animal and says, "If you were a [catchy animal]..." (open the card) "I would [do something similar to what the aforementioned animal does in the wild]". A sweet example is her octopus card that reads, "If you were an octopus, I would grow eight arms to hold you." Aw!

I was also inspired by Trevor Corson's book "The Secret Life of Lobsters" about American lobsters (Homarus americanus). In it I learned that, to let a male know the female is ready to molt and willing to mate, she will approach his den and "waft her perfume" towards him, i.e. she releases urine filled with her pheromones towards his face. She pees on him.

poor (lucky?) guy

There's so much more to it than that, so if you're interested in lobster mating, you should pick up the book. But that's the... aromatic gist.

so sweet, and yet I can't help but laugh!

SO, I've made my own lobster-themed card a la Sarah Asper-Smith with my Trevor Corson knowledge so that you can have a special card for that special someone on Valentine's Day!

Directions:
1. Download above picture

2. Print onto paper or cardstock

3. Fold in half and cut out the heart through two layers

4. Fold in half again

peek-a-boo!

5. Sign it, give it to someone, wait for their unencumbered love in response

What's better than a picture of a yeti crab?

Videos of multiple yeti crabs!!

You'll remember from here that the yeti crab is actually a squat lobster, but that didn't stop me from freaking out about how cute and fluffy they look. And now my friend John (from this post) clued me in on some footage of yetis in their natural environment doing what they do best: looking adorable!

I know the second one doesn't have a catchy tune, but I like the way the fight ends: with more dancing. Way to go, yeti crab! Way to go.

Why I need a lobster cookie cutter...

... like now!

OK, so I don't know how to make a lobster pot pie,

BUT if I had a lobster cookie cutter to cut pie dough

I'd be halfway there!

Don't you wish this was your lunch?

A lobster-shaped quesadilla with all the fixin's!

Last but not least: lobster-shaped cookies!

(I'm also dreaming of those cupcakes, from here.)

So there you have it: three good reasons why I need a lobster cookie cutter.

The Abominable Snowcrab!

Another Crabday, another awesome crab to learn about! This week's Crabday was inspired by this amazing picture of a Chinese mitten crab's claw from the Mitten Crab Recording Project:

Holy hairy awesomeness, Batman! 

Is it weird that I want to pet it?

(And by 'pet it', I mean rub it on my face.)

This crazy furry picture made me think of another fuzzy-sleeved crustacean:

The Yeti Crab!

Kiwa hirsuta

I'm in love!

You've probably seen this guy at least once in the "Whoa, that's weird" section of the news (my first stop for news readin'). These amazing 'yeti' crabs were found 1.5 miles beneath the surface of the ocean at hydrothermal vents about 900 miles south of Easter Island (you know, the one with all the heads). That's where those beautiful hairlike filaments come into play: they use the filaments (with sulfo-oxidizing bacteria) to filter toxic minerals spewing forth from the vents.

yeti crab: 

"Oh hi! I didn't see you there, what with my teeny tiny eyes."

What do they eat in this crazy environment? Mussels of course! The yeti crab is believed to be an omnivore, and was seen munching on mussels crushed by the deep-sea subs.

Watch out, Bythograea crabs: there are two yetis!

I think it's time I come clean: the yeti crab is actually a squat lobster! But, in my defense, squat lobsters are more closely related to crabs than true lobsters. And, come on, aren't you glad you learned about the yeti crab today? I know I am!

this is a male Kiwa hirsuta: see how he almost has 

a lobster tail, but it's SQUAT? If you took a peek under that tail, 

you'd still find his gonopods like true lobsters.

Read more:

MacPherson, E., W. Jones, and M. Segonzac. 2005. A new squat lobster family of Galatheoidea (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura) from the hydrothermal vents of the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge. Zoosystema 27: 709-723.

Crabs in Russia!

Did that title make anyone else think of "Pigs in Space" from the Muppets?



Anyway, when Adam (my husband) got back from Russia, you'll never believe what he brought me: CRAB PICTURES!! (OK, that wasn't all, but I was pretty excited about the Russian crabs.)

Here they are:

a blue king crab (Paralithodes platypus)

found on the Tuleny Island beach

Marianna the boat dog watching over king crab

dinner prep (not the same one from the beach!)

I know, I know, these aren't crabs, but I was excited

to see lobster decor in one of the Kuril Island offices!

Наслаждайтесь крабов!

(That hopefully means "Enjoy the crabs!" Please let me know if it doesn't. Thanks.)

I should have seen it coming

Born to love crustaceans? I think yes.

mini golfing with my friend Homar

It's electric!

Is anybody else singing to themselves with that blog title? No? Just me? Oh well.

So friends, World Oceans Day has come and gone. I hope you had a great day and proudly wore blue for the occasion! This lobster is doing its part with WOD’s motto, “Wear blue, tell two”:

PEI's electric blue lobster

The blue Homarus americanus was caught off of Prince Edward Island (of Green Gables fame) by Blair Doucette. He and his wife are donating "Fluffy" (I couldn't have come up with a better name myself!) to the Rustico Harbour Fishing Museum, so that the lobster can continue spreading the news about World Oceans Day, no doubt.

But how did Fluffy come to be blue? It’s pretty rare (some say 1 in a million, some say 1 in 2 million… who knows? Seriously, do you know? Comment!), but not unheard of. A genetic defect awesome-fect leads to the formation of crustacyanin, the blue carotenoid-protein of the lobster shell, to the max apparently.

Lobsters also come in the multi-colored variety! This asymmetry coincides occasionally with hermaphroditism in lobsters!! Amazing, right? Lobsters can be sexed easily by looking at the first set of pleopods: males have thick, hard appendages (two of ‘em, just like snow crabs!) and females have soft, thin appendages (also 2). In bilateral gynandromorphs, one appendage is thick (male) and the other is thin (female)!

asymmetry in action:

on the left, a lobster giving off the impression of being half-cooked

on the right, the reproductive structures of a female (in pink) and male (in blue)

And guess what: this is also seen in snow crabs!! They end up looking pretty lopsided though, due to their extreme sexual dimorphism of carapace widths:

Chionoecetes opilio male (our left, his right) and female (our right, her left)

Who knew crustaceans could be so cool, right?

Well, keep wearing blue and spreading the good news of crabs and lobsters alike. The last blue lobster to grace Prince Edward Island’s shores was Donald, caught in 2009 and housed at a lobster restaurant (although he was never served on the menu!). We’ll see if another one turns up in 2013!

Yup, he looks like a 'Donald' to me!

Bilateral literature (thanks to Laura Slater, ADF&G, for this info!):
Chace, F. A., and G. M. Moore. 1959. A bicolored gynandromorphy of the lobster, Homarus americanus. The Biological Bulletin 16: 226-231.

Syslo, M., and J. T. Hughes. 1981. Reproductive behavior of a bicolored gynandromorphic American lobster. The Progressive Fish-Culturalist 43: 214-216.

Taylor, D. M. 1986. A bilateral gynanddromorph of the snow crab, Chionoecetes opilio, from Newfoundland, Canada. Crustaceana 51: 309-312.

My own personal crab spy

My sister Emma Yanevskyy is a super-sleuth of crabby paraphernalia. She has a shop on etsy (shameless promotion? Maybe.) so she spends a fair amount of time checking on it and meandering other shops to check out the competition. When she finds something of the crustacean persuasion, she sends it my way (including the crab sign from this post)! Here are some of my favorite crabby things she’s found on the interwebs:

"Now everyone is on the beach!"

found here

he might be signaling a turn, but then again, you never know with fiddler crabs

found here

who doesn't want a pillow with an octopus-baby hybrid munching on a whole lobster?

found here

Please enjoy the benefits of my personal crab spy!

Challenger Reports

The voyage of the HMS Challenger from 1873 to 1876 was the first of its kind: a scientific expedition to understand the ocean environment and the deep-sea.

the HMS Challenger crew

Among other things, a legacy of this expedition is the amazing drawings of sea creatures that are available for any and all to see! Click here for an index to all the discoveries (scroll down until you get to "Links To The Zoological Reports").

Here are some of my favorites, but you should peruse the plates of all the different reports; they found some amazing animals!

They really inspire me to work on my drawing skills!