 Staff at the Weston super Mare SeaQuarium where startled when it appeared that their Spiny Lobsters had doubled in numbers overnight!
But on closer inspection, our resident lobsters had shed their outer skins – creating an exact replica of themselves! To enable themselves to grow, younger lobsters will moult on a regular basis as part of their growing process, shedding their skin when they become too big for their existing shell. As they get older this process occurs less frequently. “This is a fairly frequent event for our younger lobsters” said Displays Manager, Hayley Upham, “but amazing none the less to see these replicas”. It would have taken the lobsters a couple of hours to crawl out of their old shell. And their ‘new’ skin would be fairly soft at first and would take a couple of days to harden into a new shell. Their ‘old’ skins are, amazingly, left whole – an incredible acrobatic act when you consider all their legs! “We have preserved their old shells so that visitors can see a real before and after effect” said Hayley Upham. Over the May Bank Holiday we will be displaying these shells within our Dr Cods Touch & Talk Zone, to enable visitors to learn more about these amazing armour-plated creatures. Our resident Spiny Lobsters can be seen within the Crustacean Cove Zone daily over the Bank Holiday weekend. The Weston SeaQuarium is open daily from 10am, don’t forget your ticket is valid ALL day! |
The Weston-Super-Mare SeaQuarium was opened in 1995, and was placed upon the first seaside pier to be built in Great Britain for over 85 years. Situated on the beach, the aquarium is surrounded by 3 miles of sand along the coast of Somerset, with panoramic views across the estuary of Wales. 
