#most of the deceased lobsters I know died from molting complications

[plaguedocboi]

did you know that lobsters are functionally immortal in that they can’t die of old age but they do eventually reach a point where they can’t shed and get stuck bc it would take too much energy to shed their exoskeleton so then they get stuck and die

Yes I do. Another fun fact, molting is an extremely dangerous thing for lobsters of any age, and failed molting is one of the most common causes of death for young lobsters as well. Molting is not equivalent to a reptile shedding skin or a bird shedding feathers, arthropod molting requires them to get rid of all the hard parts in their body including parts of their internal organs! They have to rip out sections of their digestive system and regrow them. And that’s not generally what kills them in a failed molting; usually they suffocate because they have to pull their gills out of the shell too and if they don’t get out quickly enough they die. I am so incredibly glad that I don’t have to worry about molting.