{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "lobster",
  "name": "American Lobster",
  "scientificName": "Homarus americanus",
  "category": "Invertebrate",
  "summary": "The American lobster is a large marine crustacean with two powerful front claws, an armored shell, and ten legs. It lives on the cold, rocky seabeds of the northwest Atlantic and can grow heavier than 9 kg (20 lb). Lobsters molt their shells to grow throughout life and can live more than 50 years, making them among the longest-lived invertebrates.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Arthropoda",
    "class": "Malacostraca",
    "order": "Decapoda",
    "family": "Nephropidae",
    "genus": "Homarus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 2,
    "lengthM": 0.5,
    "topSpeedKmh": 18,
    "lifespanYears": 50
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Homarus americanus"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Omnivore (fish, mollusks, worms, algae)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Cold rocky seabeds of the northwest Atlantic"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "Often 45–50+ years"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "0.5–9 kg (1–20 lb)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to 18 km/h (11 mph) in a tail-flip escape"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Cold rocky seabeds of the northwest Atlantic, from Atlantic Canada to the northeastern United States.",
    "continents": [
      "Oceans",
      "North America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Homarus americanus.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Homarus%20americanus&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Homarus americanus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Homarus_americanus/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — American Lobster.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_lobster"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/lobster/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/lobster/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}