George (lobster)
Breed | American lobster |
---|---|
Sex | Male |
Born | c. 1869[a] |
Known for | Old age |
Weight | 20 lb (9.1 kg) |
George (hatched approximately 1869) is an American lobster owned briefly by the City Crab and Seafood restaurant in New York City. Captured in December 2008, he was released back into the wild in January 2009. George weighed 20 pounds (9.1 kg), and had an estimated age of 140 years at the time.
Capture
George was captured off the coast of
Release
Two customers told animal rights group
We applaud the folks at City Crab and Seafood for their compassionate decision to allow this noble old-timer to live out his days in freedom and peace. We hope that their kind gesture serves as an example that these intriguing animals don't deserve to be confined to tiny tanks or boiled alive.
Weight and age
George weighed 20 pounds (9.1 kg), and was estimated to be 140 years old, placing his year of birth around 1869.[2] The age of lobsters can be difficult to determine, but can be estimated based on molting rate and the increase in size after a molt.[7] Though some scientists claim that lobsters cannot live for much longer than 100 years,[6] Valenti claims it is fairly common.[5] PETA did not reveal how they had calculated the age, but Valenti explained that lobster age can be estimated by weight, with the weight increasing by around a pound for every seven to ten years of life. He added that "I've been here for 12 years, and that's the biggest lobster I've ever seen".[5]
See also
- List of long-living organisms
References
- ^ Current status unknown
- ^ a b "Giant 140-Year-Old(born about 1868) Lobster Freed". Sky News. January 10, 2009. Archived from the original on April 29, 2009. Retrieved April 20, 2009.
- ^ a b c "George the 140-year-old lobster to be released by New York restaurant". The Daily Telegraph. January 10, 2009. Retrieved April 20, 2009.
- ^ Daily News. Retrieved April 20, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e "NY eatery frees ancient lobster". BBC News. January 10, 2009. Retrieved April 20, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "George the giant lobster liberated from restaurant". CNN. January 10, 2009. Retrieved April 20, 2009.
- ^ a b "George the lobster gets new lease on life at 140". CBS News. January 9, 2009. Archived from the original on January 13, 2009. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
- ^ Wilson, Carl: Chief Lobster Scientist at Maine's Department of Marine Resources. "Huge Lobster Caught Off Maine Coast - Yahoo! News". YouTube.[dead YouTube link]