Lobster ( Homarus gammarus ). Crustacean marine decapod, very similar to the lobster , which can reach two feet in length. It is a close relative of American lobster and Norway lobster, and more distantly from lobster.
Summary
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- 1 Habitat
- 2 Distribution
- 3 Appearance
- 4 Growth
- 5 Food
- 6 Reproduction
- 7 Breeding
- 8 Nutritional properties
- 9 Kitchen
- 10 Sources
Habitat
They inhabit rocky bottoms or cliff areas, in cold waters, it is found from the shore to about 150 m, usually less than 40 m.
Distribution
In the eastern Atlantic Ocean , from the Lofoten Islands in north-western Norway to the Azores and Morocco. It can also be found in parts of the Mediterranean Sea and in the northwest of the Black Sea .
Appearance
These marine crustaceans are classified within the decapods for having ten limbs. Two of them have been transformed into two large uneven clamps, one is thicker and more developed than the other, which serve to catch and break their prey, the right clamp with blunt teeth that even crush the shells of their prey and the left with fine and sharp teeth with which to tear and cut food. They are very powerful clamps, so lobsters are usually marketed with them tied. Its appearance is very aggressive. It is the largest marine crustacean (minimum weight for commercial capture is 500 gr. Reaching 6 years of age, if they live long enough they can reach up to 1 meter long and 15 kg. Weight), with a robust, divided body in two clearly differentiated parts,abdomen or tail, both covered by a cylindrical shell.
On the head, two pairs of thorns located behind the eyes. Two large clamps and four pairs of legs, the first two with tiny little tips and the last two finished in nails. Females have small stunted limbs after the last pair of legs. It has a longitudinal groove from head to tail and abdomen in the form of rings (seven).
Increase
It is produced by successive shedding of the shell. The molts decrease with age and while they last they take refuge in cavities.
Feeding
The lobster prefers cuttlefish, squid , octopus and small fish . They eat at night and remain hidden in caves during the day.
Reproduction
They reproduce every two years, normally in summer, the females transport thousands of eggs under the abdomen that hatch in the water leaving the larvae free, which swim for about five weeks until they settle at the bottom. The number of surviving eggs is low compared to laying.
Breeding
Attempts have been made to produce these crustaceans using cultivation techniques, although they have not yet been consolidated. What is usually done is to capture them and keep them alive in cetareas until they are sold.
Nutritional properties
Its main nutrient is proteins of great biological value, with low fat content, unsaturated ones (beneficial for health) predominate. They also stand out for their wealth of amino acids such as phosphorus , potassium, calcium , magnesium , iron and especially zinc, with a fundamental role for our body due to its involvement in metabolic functions such as the synthesis of insulin, carbohydrates , proteins and fats .
Tampoco es descartable el aporte vitamínico, sobre todo tipo A, B2, B3, B6 y B12. Como otros crustáceos, su consumo debe restringirse especialmente en personas con hiperuricemia o gota, ya que poseen purinas que se transforman en ácido úrico. Desaconsejados también en personas hipertensas.
Cocina
Este es, sin duda, uno de los crustáceos más utilizados en la alta cocina y más apreciados por los amantes del marisco. Posee una carne abundante y firme, y su consumo no exige demasiadas complicaciones de pelado y cocción.
El bogavante se come hervido, a la plancha, guisado, en ensaladas, etc.
La carne del bogavante tiene un sabor más intenso comparado con la de la langosta. Como en otros tipos de crustáceos, la hembra es la más valorada por su mayor cantidad de carne y la presencia de huevas. Tanto bogavante como langosta deben estar vivos en el momento de cocerlos, sumergirlos en agua con sal, (punto de agua de mar). una vez roto el hervor, cocinar entre 10 a 15 min. dependiendo del tamaño. Una vez cocidos sumergirlos en agua con abundante hielo.
En la alta cocina, durante muchos años se han efectuado verdaderas atrocidades con esta delicia. Tanto en la manera de cocinarlo, como de servirlo. Por eso recomendamos tener cuidado con la mayoría de las recetas que circulan en internet o en libros.
