They are not
to be confused with spiny lobsters, which have no claws
(chelae), and are not closely related. The closest relatives
of clawed lobsters are the reef lobster Enoplometopus
and the three families of freshwater crayfish. Smaller
varieties are sometimes called "lobsterettes".
Lobsters are invertebrates, and have a tough exoskeleton,
which protects them. Like all arthropods, lobsters must
molt in order to grow, leaving them vulnerable during
this time. Lobsters are considered a food delicacy around
the world. In Europe, they are extremely expensive; in
some parts of North America, much less so. Lobsters live
on rocky, sandy, or muddy bottoms from the shoreline to
beyond the edge of the continental shelf. They generally
live singly in crevices or in burrows under rocks.
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