Frequently Asked Questions
About Maine Lobsters and Other Maine Legends
WHAT SIZE LOBSTER IS BEST?
Check out our handy guide to buying lobster.
WHAT DOES “SOFT SHELL” AND “HARD SHELL” MEAN?
A soft-shell lobster—or “shedder lobster”—has recently molted, or shed its old shell, so it can begin growing a new, larger shell. Hard-shell lobsters have not yet shed, so they are packed very full.
WHAT MAKES MAINE LOBSTER DIFFERENT FROM LOBSTER FROM OTHER PLACES?
Since Maine lobsters grow in an ideal habitat, they’re the ideal lobsters to buy! They thrive in cold, clear water with the right amount of salinity to create hard shells and delicious meat. You can buy lobster from many different parts of the world, but none will be as sweet and tasty as those from the North Atlantic—and especially from Maine.
MY LOBSTERS HAVE ARRIVED BUT THEY’RE NOT RED. WHAT’S GOING ON?
Cooked lobsters are red. Live lobsters are usually greenish brown, but there are some rare yellow, white—and even red!—lobsters. Except for the white ones, they all turn red when cooked.
WHAT DO LOBSTERS LIKE TO EAT?
People. Just kidding. Crabs, clams, mussels, starfish, smaller fish, and sometimes even other lobsters! A lobster has teeth in its stomach, not its mouth.
HOW DO LOBSTERS FIND THEIR FOOD?
They “smell” food with four small antennae on the front of their heads and tiny sensing hairs that cover their bodies.
HOW BIG ARE LOBSTER EGGS?
About the size of a pinhead. A one-pound female lobster usually has from 8,000 to 12,000 eggs attached to the underside of her tail. She carries the eggs for about a year until they are released as larvae. Only about one-tenth of one percent of those eggs will live past six weeks.
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT LOBSTERS AND THE HISTORY OF LOBSTERING IN MAINE?
CAN YOU POINT ME TO INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROCKPORT AREA?
Sure! We live in a beautiful area where there is lots to see and do. Here are some links to explore:
- VillageSoup – The Online Community
- Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Maine Bureau of Tourism
- Maine Lobster Promotion Council
- Lobster Institute
- Maine Resource Guide
- Maine Media Workshops
- Gulf of Maine Aquarium
- Maine Department of Marine Resources
- Town of Rockport Home Page
- Town of Camden Home Page
- Friendship Trap Company
- The Windward House
- Inn at Sunrise Point
- Hartstone Inn
- Hawthorn Inn

The Freshest You Can Get Without Getting Wet
Graffam Bros. Seafood Market
211 Union Street, Rockport, Maine 04856
800-535-5358 • 207-236-8391 •
LobstersToGo@GraffamBros.com
Winter Hours Starting Jan 4, 2019:
Monday – Saturday 8:30am – 5:00pm