Do Female Lobsters Really Drown Each Other? Examining the Myth

An intriguing myth suggests that when female lobsters are caught together in a trap, they will pull each other down to drown rather than help each other escape. This notion of female lobsters sabotaging their own kind has become popular lore, but is there any truth to this claim? As a marine biologist, I decided to dive into the facts and fiction behind thisLegend Has It Myth Of The Self-Sabotaging Female Lobsters

The myth stems from an unsourced anecdote that male lobsters will supposedly create an organized “ladder” to climb out of a trap or pot to avoid being cooked. Female lobsters, on the other hand, are said to lack this cooperation and instead drag each other down in a lethal display of competition or spite.

This tale gained traction after being shared in a 2007 episode of the TV show The L Word. It was presented as fact, leading many viewers to assume the behaviors described were scientifically documented lobster behaviors. But are female lobsters really so ruthless toward each other? Let’s analyze the evidence.

Assessing The Evidence: Female Lobster Interactions

To evaluate this myth, we need to examine what is known about real world female lobster interactions. First, it is true that when lobsters are trapped together, they will cling to and climb over top of one another in attempts to escape. However, there is no evidence to suggest females specifically target and drown other females during these escape efforts.

In the wild female lobsters are not known to be inherently more competitive or aggressive toward each other than males. They are solitary creatures that may fight over desirable dens but generally avoid each other outside of mating periods. Their survival depends on avoiding predators not sabotaging their own kind.

Research shows size and biology, not gender, are the main factors influencing lobster behavior Dominant lobsters tend to climb over weaker lobsters to better access food and reach the top of tanks, with injured lobsters often at the bottom But this dynamic is seen across both genders.

The notion that males cooperate while females sabotage also does not stand up to scrutiny. Lobsters have simple nervous systems and lack the complex cognition needed for organized cooperation or targeted malice toward their own gender. Their focus is on survival, not undermining each other.

Why The Myth Took Hold: Gender Stereotypes & Misinformation

So why did this myth gain such traction? Lobsters are a mysterious species to most people, making it easy to spread misinformation. And the tale plays to enduring human gender stereotypes – males as chivalrous and females as catty or conniving toward each other. The anecdote seemed to resonate due to unconscious bias, not factual accuracy.

Its inclusion in a popular TV drama further cemented it as reality in many viewers’ minds. With no credible scientific studies to back it up, the myth remains pervasive primarily due to our desire for a good story, not biological truth.

The Reality: Female Lobsters Face Shared Threats In Captivity

While they do not actively drown each other, female lobsters do face significant threats when densely confined in traps and tanks. Both male and female lobsters will becoming stressed fighting for space and risk injury from the chaos.

Smaller lobsters can get pinned under larger ones as they all frantically scramble upwards. And any lobsters positioned lower down will be more vulnerable to drowning as oxygen runs out in overcrowded conditions.

These shared stressors affect females no more than males. But the myth singling out sabotage among female lobsters distorts the real risks all lobsters face together when densely trapped in close quarters.

Female Lobsters Need Each Other: Matriarchal Pods In The Wild

Far from pulling each other down, female lobsters may in fact gain valuable survival advantages from banding together in the wild. Large groups of female lobsters have been observed forming communal nursery dens to care for their eggs together.

These matriarchal “pods” offer safety in numbers against predators. And females take turns watching over each other’s eggs, freeing the mothers up to hunt for food. This cooperation contradicts the idea of female lobsters betraying their own kind.

Rather than sabotage, female lobsters demonstrate complex social bonds and protective maternal instincts. Their survival may in fact be facilitated, not hindered, by strength in numbers with other females.

The Takeaway: Separating Fact From Fiction

To conclude, the idea that trapped female lobsters purposefully drown each other lacks scientific evidence and propagates unfounded gender stereotypes. Both male and female lobsters face danger when densely confined in traps or tanks during harvesting and transport. But their focus remains on escaping, not sabotaging their own gender.

In the wild, female lobsters form communal groups that contradict notions of them undermining each other. By separating compelling myths from biological facts, we gain a deeper understanding of how these remarkable creatures actually behave, cooperate, and interact in their natural habitats. This allows us to better conserve these captivating animals for generations to come.