No, Lobsters Don’t Actually Mate for Life
Despite what you may have heard on television, we’re sorry to break the news—but no, sorry romantics, it’s just not true.
Listen, we get it—if you haven’t seen a very specific piece of media before this, it might not make sense why we’re saying this, but stick with us.
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The idea comes from the Friends episode ‘The One with the Prom Video’ (Season 2, Episode 14), where Phoebe explains that lobsters mate for life.
She continues by saying that lobsters even walk around holding claws, which is when she makes the comparison that Ross is Rachel’s lobster.
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While the idea sounds cute and romantic, an article from Mental Floss says nope—lobsters don’t actually mate for life.
Instead, they practice a form of ‘serial monogamy,’ where multiple females take turns mating with a dominant male for a week or two, and if they’re not satisfied, they may seek out additional partners.
Female lobsters can only mate right after molting, so when one is ready, she hangs out by a dominant male’s den and releases pheromones that calm him and signal she’s ready.
After a short courtship and mating, she stays protected until her new shell hardens, then leaves—often with another female already lined up to repeat the process.
And there you have it! While you may have heard otherwise, that simply isn’t the case—lobsters do not actually find one mate and stick with them for life.
What are your thoughts on this? We’d love to hear from you! Feel free to join the conversation by messaging us on the app.
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