The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-09-27
WONDERS OF SEA
How a CraWfish or Lob.
Ster DiSrObeS.
Something Seldom Seen Because
the Crawfish Hides Itself During.
the Operation.

The following interesting descrip
ton of how a lobster disposes of his
shell and takes on a new one when
he outgrows the old. applies equally
to the Hawaiian crawfish, according to
a gentleman who is interested in
such matters and has made study Of
the habits of shellfish in these waters:
'All young Holsters change their
shell several times a year" said the
Fulton Market dealer, and as they
grow older the change takes place
less frequently. Unlike other deep
sea animals, the shell of the lobster
does not grow with the body, there
fore nature provided them with clothes
which they could throw off when they
begin to fit too quick 1t may easily
be seen, therefore, that as some of
them grow TO the length of forty
inches, beginning their career at less
than an inch in length, the changing
must take place a great many times.
The lobster invariably leaves the
coast as the winter season advances,
and seeking the deep water, escapes
the extreme cold weather and water.
But, as the spring approaches, back
comes the lobster to the coast to feed
upon mOllusks and other sea food in
shallow waters. The shedding process
usually takes place during the hottest
months of the year, and occasionally
one. is captured by fishermen while the
operation is under way, but this sell
dom happens, as the lobster usually
hides away in the crevices of some
rocky bottom of the sea during the
transformation.
He shows considerable sense in
this matter of retiring at this period,
for the reason that he has practically
no means of defence, his embryonic
claws being soft for several days after
he has pulled them out of the old
Shells and were he to remain in his
usual haunts, he would, in all proba-
bility, be devoured by his fellow-deni-
zens of the sea. Connoisseurs of sea
food are very partial to Holsters that
are about to shed their armOr, or i'm
mediately after the operation has ia
ken place, as the meat is particularly
hard and the flavor more intense dur
ing that period.
Il have made study of this partic-
ular crustacean. and have witnessed
the disrobing and robng operation on
several occasions. Up at my house
have an imprOviSed saltwater aQuari-
UNI, which contains a collection gath
cred at various times during my mar
ket business, and several Holsters have
used it as dresSing-rOOm.
L had long desired to witness one of
these operations, but | had been un-
able to procure a lobster that was not
too far advanced to be of any use,
when one day a specimen was brought
Tn of
from his actions, had reached the con-
clusion that his old suit was becoming
too small, and a new one was neceS-
sary. When placed upon a table, he
Immediately turned over on his back,
and at intervals of perhaps five min
utes a shudder ran through his entire
body, even to the tips of his claws and
legs; but the closest examination failed
to reveal any trace of the parting Of
the shell which | had observed in
specimens that were farther adj
vanced.
From his size and weight-he was
rather SMALL thought that the she'd
ding process, which was about to take
place, would be the first that he had
undergone, so l determined to see the
whole operation through. L carried
him home and placed him in the
aquarium. AS soon as he was in the
water he made dash for some
shrimps, which were in corner of the
tank. After driving them away he
made an effort to get into an aperture
formed by some stones that | had
placed in the same corner, but which
was far too small to allow him to get
in.
After several futile attempts to
force his body through the opening, he
turned over on his back and the shud-
derS which had been so noticeable
downtown began again. These con-
tinued all night, and in the morning
[ found my lobster apparently in his
last agonies. He lay on his back and
rubbed his legs cOnvulsively together
as if in intense pain, and then he wrig-
gled about and jerked himself viO-
lently upward by means of his tail.
suppose that these operations had as
their object the loOsening of the claws
and limbs in their SheathS, but at
that time l feared that he was in his
death thrOeS.
The spasms continued for an hour
or more, and efforts were apparently
made to burst the she'll open from the
inside. A faint line, hardly percept-
ible at first, made it's appearance, run
ming from the head down the center of
the back. and, after each CONFUSION
became broader. Gradually the head
piece began to break close to the shell
of the back, and as each break ran
from the starting point on the top OF
the neck, the lobster, after considerable
effort suddenly withdrew his head
from its covering, leaving the larger
part Of his eyes in the headpiece, which
hung from the shell as if it were
hinged.
After the lobster had succeeded in
the division of his head, he was appar-
emily in a very exhausted state, for
he remained very quiet for a couple OF
hours, and paid no attention to the
shrimps, which were swimming close
to him. l began TO think the operation
had been too much for the lobster, and
that he was dead but the ShudderS