Life of the American Lobster

Anatomy & Biology | Life Cycle & Reproduction | Habitat | Diet & Digestion | Lobster Quiz

Scientific name: Homarus americanus

The American lobster can be found in the waters off the North Atlantic - ranging from Virginia up through the Canadian Maritimes. Lobsters are aquatic arthropods of the class Crustacea. As such, they have segmented bodies; chitinous exoskeletons(a hard outer shell); and paired, jointed limbs. (Examples of other crustaceans are shrimp, crabs, and barnacles.)

Taxonomy of Homarus americanus

• phylum Arthropoda


• superclass Crustacea


• class Malacostraca


• order Decapoda


• family Nephropidae


• genus Homarus


• species americanus

Take our Lobster Quiz by clicking on the link above to see what you already know about the American lobster. Then explore the other links above for more information on the anatomy, life cycle, habitat and diet of the lobster.