Lobster Couple

When they pop off their prickly battle armor, it’s mating time.

The lobster starts by swallowing water to raise the carapace you see here up and away from the tail. They pull their eyestalks down and pop the lid off, leaving a tender and soft lobster… unable to walk for about a half hour with floppy “boneless” legs. Pulling the claw meat through the narrow joints is particular strenuous. While in this state, the females approach the males to copulate.

When I found these undamaged bodies washed up on the beach together, I wondered about the pair at sea.