Just How Big is the Biggest Lobster Ever Caught? A Look at the Monster Crustaceans of the Sea

Lobsters are already intimidating creatures with their heavy claws and spiny bodies. But every so often truly massive lobsters are pulled from the depths that just boggle the mind in terms of their sheer size. These gentle giants of the sea can reach the size of a small child and weigh as much as a bowling ball!

As a seafood lover and ocean admirer, I wanted to learn more about the upper limits of lobster growth. What is the biggest lobster ever captured and what accounts for their incredible size? In this article, I’ll highlight some of the most enormous lobsters on record and explore what factors allow lobsters to reach such hulking proportions. Join me on a deep dive into the ocean to uncover the mysteries of these monster crustaceans!

Defining Factors of Lobster Size

Before looking at specific examples, let’s examine the key factors that account for lobster growth:

• Age: Like all creatures, lobsters grow larger with age. Older lobsters have had more time to molt and increase in size. The oldest lobsters are often the biggest.

• Genetics: Some lobsters are just genetically predisposed to grow larger, similar to why some humans are taller than others.

• Abundant Food Supply: Access to plentiful food like mollusks and fish allows a lobster to regularly build body mass.

• Few Predators: Lobsters with fewer natural predators around have higher survival rates and live longer.

• Weather & Water Temperatures: Optimal water conditions allow lobsters to efficiently metabolize food and molt.

Now let’s look at a few real-world examples of enormous lobsters and see these factors at play.

Contenders for the Biggest Lobsters Ever Caught

Here are some of the most reliable and well-documented cases of massive lobsters:

• A 44 lb lobster caught off Nova Scotia in 1977 holds the official Guinness World Record for largest lobster ever captured, It was estimated to be 100 years old

• In 1926, a 51.5 lb lobster was caught off the coast of Maine. At nearly 3 feet long, it’s the largest Maine lobster on record.

• A 1927 newspaper article reported two lobstermen catching a 63 lb lobster off the Massachusetts coast. If accurate, it would be the biggest lobster by far.

• In 2016, a 30 lb lobster named “Crusher” was caught off the coast of Maine. It was spared from the dinner plate due to its immense size.

• A 40 lb lobster was hauled up in the Bahamas in 2006, believed to be around 140 years old. It was released after being studied.

As you can see, lobsters over 30 lbs are extremely rare, but specimens over 40 lbs have been documented several times. The largest ones rival the size of a woolly mammoth!

Traits of the Biggest Lobsters

In studying photos and stories of these mammoth lobsters, some common traits emerge:

• Their claws are massive, accounting for about 2/3 of their total weight. The claw “Crusher” was the size of a person’s torso!

• The bodies are bulky and dense, showing a lifetime of growth. Their shells are very thick.

• Coloring is darker and camouflaged, helping them evade predators.

• Their lifespans are 80-100+ years. Many were grandparent-aged lobsters.

• They dwelled in deep, cold waters with fewer threats and more food sources.

• All were females, as male lobsters tend to have shorter lifespans.

Seeing these giant lobsters up close provides a new appreciation for how enormous they can grow given ideal conditions.

Preventing Overfishing of Large Lobsters

While it’s thrilling to see these lobster leviathans, it’s also concerning when they turn up in traps. To preserve these magnificent giants, most states enforce strict size regulations for kept lobsters. For example:

• In Maine, lobsters must be larger than 3 1/4 inches to keep, protecting juveniles. Egg-bearing females are also protected.

• In Massachusetts, the minimum size is 3 17/32″, increased over time to allow more juveniles to mature.

• In Canada, lobsters must be between 3 – 5 inches based on region. Oversized lobsters must be released.

• Trap limits, season restrictions, and bans on kept egg-bearing females also help conserve large lobsters.

Thanks to these wise regulations, more giant lobsters are surviving in the wild instead of ending up on dinner plates.

In Summary: Appreciating the Gentle Giants of the Sea

When you bite into a buttery lobster tail, it’s hard to imagine the massive crustaceans that dwell in the ocean depths. But as we’ve seen, lobsters can occasionally grow to what can only be described as monster sizes exceeding 40+ lbs. These gentle giants achieve such proportions thanks to genetic luck, old age, abundant food sources and lack of predators in the frigid deep waters they inhabit. While rare, their presence is a reminder of the wonders the ocean still holds and why protecting these magnificent creatures matters.