An estimated 14-pounder, perhaps the heaviest lobster taken on the entire east coast during last week's sport season, was nabbed in 10 feet of water south of Wabasso Beach. State marine patrol officer Al Corfield of West Melbourne saw the lobster when he checked the unidentified diver aboard the diver's boat. Jimmy Winter of Melbourne Beach was freediving in 20 feet of water south of Sebastian Inlet when he grabbed an 11-pounder. Winter said he took his 12-lobster limit each of the two days in the same area, all without scuba gear. After that, the growth slows.
Males grow faster because much of a female's energy goes into egg production.
Like all crustaceans, lobsters grow by molting, and it's a time when they're particularily vulnerable to predation, and even cannibalism. Big lobsters will eat little lobsters. The most prevalent lobster in Florida waters is the Caribbean spiny lobster. But, there are other varieties, including three types of slipper lobster, and the odd-looking shovelnose, which has the look of a giant cockroach, with no legs or antennae. There's a third-generation Strasser that's sure to become a lobster diver.