Page 5 - Lecturer_1

Molting and Growth (Continued)

Escape from the old shell takes anywhere from several minutes to more
than a half hour. Keeping other factors constant, the time required for
shedding depends on the size of the animal. (It takes longer to pull
bigger claws out of those narrow joints!) If shedding is prolonged
unnaturally, it usually results in the animal's death because a lobster in
the midst of ecdysis is entirely helpless being virtually unable to move,
and consuming a great deal of energy at a time when its respiratory
surface, which also sheds its skeleton, is unable to function. Once freed
from its old shell, the lobster immediately resumes water uptake and
also pumps water through its branchial chambers at a maximum rate.

The absorbed water is transferred to the blood and the body tissues,
particularly the midgut gland and muscles. The lobster remains secluded
for several days while its shell hardens and then re-emerges to engage
in its normal activities. However, an adult lobster's shell is not fully
hardened for several months. Between sheds, the lobster adds tissue in
place of the water it absorbed and, thus, effectively grows into its new
shell.
Moulting process