This exoskeleton, belonged to a female Spiny Lobster at The Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton, Fl. She was molting & split her shell in half where her body met her tail so that she could crawl out & leave her shell behind. Usually, lobsters will bury themselves in the mud & sand or hide under rocks until they grow a new shell, which takes 2 weeks to a month. Unfortunately, this lobster (I think her name was Butter) was eaten by the Moray Eel who lived in the same outdoor tank with her.
After molting, the lobsters will usually eat their empty shell to replenish the supply of calcium that they'll need to harden their new shell....but in this case, the lobster (Butter) was eaten before she had time to devour her shell & find a safe place to hide from predators. Instead of claws like Atlantic/American lobsters, Spiny Lobsters have 5 pairs of walking legs. Next to Horseshoe Crabs, lobsters are my favorite sea creatures.
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| Intact Spiny Lobster Exoskeleton At Gumbo Limbo Nature Center |
That is some perspective on that second picture!
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