# How Badly Could a Lobster Hurt Me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 29, 2011, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489 "2011-08-29T13:43:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/61 "2012-11-04T01:27:10Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > The chef was describing a number of different crustaceans (which he had on hand and many of them live) and noted, while holding a [Mudcrab](http://www.reef.crc.org.au/research/fishing_fisheries/statusfisheries/images/Roger%20Swainston/MudCrabScylla_serrata.jpg), to be very careful. Horrible creatures… ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/62 "2012-11-04T03:19:17Z")
A slight tangent… a rare blue lobster was caught this summer: [http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/11/a-catch-straight-out-of-the-deep-blue-sea/?hpt=hp\_c3](http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/11/a-catch-straight-out-of-the-deep-blue-sea/?hpt=hp_c3) ---
**Author:** ![Crab\_Rangoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Crab\_Rangoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crab_Rangoon)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/63 "2012-11-04T12:48:25Z")
Largest lobster evah caught: [http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/largest144.html](http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/largest144.html) That’s a lotta lobstah. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/64 "2012-11-04T15:30:22Z")
Back in the day the USS Spadefish was in St Croix and one of the crew went diving and ganked a lobster with an hawaiian sling, had hold of the shaft of the spear and was swimming for the surface. It grabbed him, raked him and in the clinch he ended up with the tip of the spear jammed into his chest a short amount. Very embarrassing as it is apparently illegal to hunt lobster unless you are a resident or licensed fisherman. Oops. And I suppose that if Larry, the rather huge lobster living under the radcon barge in Groton got miffed at you he could do some serious damage, reportedly he was huge as he had been living under there undisturbed for years. I know that I saw a 16 pound lobster at Abbots by the Sea in CT and it was freaking HUGE :eek: He had claws almost twice the size of my hand. People say he would be tough, but that is the sort of guy you turn into finely minced lobster salad and serve in the cleaned out shell on a buffet table, or turn into a 5 gallon batch of lobster bisque. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/65 "2012-11-04T21:02:48Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Nø, seriøusly! It wøs tøø big, and pinched her little tøe right øff! Thank yøu sø much før the best laugh I’ve had all week. I needed that øne very badly. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/66 "2012-11-04T21:46:00Z")
Maybe they couldn’t bring a finger off, but are the veins in your wrist close enough that a sharp pinch could pincture them? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/67 "2012-11-05T02:58:34Z")
> [@Crab\_Rangoon](#): > > Largest lobster evah caught: > > [http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/largest144.html](http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/largest144.html) > > That’s a lotta lobstah. Linky no worky. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/68 "2012-11-05T03:05:28Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Linky no worky. Worked for me, so I’ll summarize. It asks you what the world’s largest lobster ever is, and then tells you. Seems weighted toward you not knowing. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/69 "2012-11-05T13:18:13Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Back in the day the USS Spadefish was in St Croix and one of the crew went diving and ganked a lobster with an hawaiian sling, had hold of the shaft of the spear and was swimming for the surface. It grabbed him, raked him and in the clinch he ended up with the tip of the spear jammed into his chest a short amount. Very embarrassing as it is apparently illegal to hunt lobster unless you are a resident or licensed fisherman. Oops. If he caught it in St. Croix, it was a spiny lobster, and didn’t have claws to grab him with. Unless a Maine lobster hitched a ride on a sailboat or something. ---
**Author:** ![cabalist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@cabalist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cabalist)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/70 "2012-11-05T16:46:15Z")
I got pinched by a Blue Crab in Gulf Shores, AL this weekend. It was a serious wound. We were were out at night looking for wildlife in the sand and the surf and found several Blue Crabs along the way. I had picked one up to show our three-year-old girl (she loves the night adventures with flashlights and glow sticks), and have picked them up in the past many times without incident, but as this one was scrambling to pinch my finger–BAM, he got it! Right on my middle finger. Through the center of my nail and all the way to the center of the end of my finger. It was a bad one. And he was pretty small (maybe 6-7" or smaller, measuring the shell from side to side, not front to back). A beautiful little specimen. Really. Everything we do is catch and release with little hand nets and sometimes a small seine during the day. If we want to eat crab we pick it up at Aquila’s, the best place for seafood in Gulf Shores/Bon Secour (Billy’s is next, and they are on the same road, two minutes apart). We did eat some Blue Crabs that night (from Aquila’s) and maybe that was just payback… ---
**Author:** ![gumma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@gumma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gumma)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/71 "2015-04-14T21:50:49Z")
Hey just wanted to reply with this hell yeah a lobster will mangle your finger if it gets the chance lol especially fresh out of the trap.Had it happen plenty of times and your first reaction is to smash it off the rail of the boat lol and even broken off it won’t release right away.They are extremely powerful.Mike from Maine:) ---
**Author:** ![gumma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@gumma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gumma)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/72 "2015-04-14T21:54:50Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I cooked seafood at one low part of my life. Lobsters came 25 to a case. There would usually be one claw that would become unbanded/unpinned out of each case. It hurt to be pinched, although burns hurt worse. They would break skin/bruise but no where near amputation. Hey yeah I agree but a packaged and banded lobster is way less powerful they are so much more feisty fresh ---
**Author:** ![gumma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@gumma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gumma)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/73 "2015-04-14T22:01:26Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I notice that their pincers are always rubber-banded, obviously for their handlers’ safety. But what’s the worst they could do? Amputate a finger? Affect bruising and possible broken skin? Aggravate me ever so slightly? Nope you wouldn’t like it one bit.It sucks very strong bite and don’t let go.Deft can sprain your finger for sure:) ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/74 "2015-04-14T22:33:11Z")
I have a cousin in New England who lost a couple of toes to a lobster. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/75 "2015-04-15T03:46:13Z")
> [@user\_hostile](#): > > A løøbster ønce pinched my sister > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > The person responsible for this post has been sacked. This post has been llamaed by “RALPH” The Wonder Llama! ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/76 "2015-04-15T15:27:40Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > Their pincers are banded to keep them from fighting with each other. You’re worried about lobster fights when they’e already under a death sentence? What is the First Rule of Lobster Fight Club? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/77 "2015-04-15T15:40:32Z")
Gary Larson had some fun with lobster over the years: [![](https://www.angelfire.com/punk2/LukeRoo/images/FSwishes.jpg) ](https://www.angelfire.com/punk2/LukeRoo/images/FSwishes.jpg) [http://cameron.kangaweb.com/jokes/Farside/lobster.gif](http://cameron.kangaweb.com/jokes/Farside/lobster.gif) [![](http://www.longwood.edu/staff/bjornsenca/AuntieEm.JPG) ](http://www.longwood.edu/staff/bjornsenca/AuntieEm.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/78 "2015-04-15T16:06:26Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > You’re worried about lobster fights when they’e already under a death sentence? > > … \ Diner: Waiter, this lobster has only one claw! What happened to the other one? Waiter: It probably lost it in a fight, sir. Diner: Well take it back and bring me the winner. \ ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489/79 "2015-04-15T16:12:54Z")
That’s new to me, and pretty funny. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-could-a-lobster-hurt-me/594489.md?page=3)