What Are the Cockroaches of the Sea? | 台北市立動物園資訊網

Cockroachesoftheseaisanexpressionofunknownoriginthattraditionallyreferstolobsters.Thebottom-feedingcrustaceans,generallytheblueAmerican ...

By Kathleen March

i Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images

"Cockroaches of the sea" is an expression of unknown origin that traditionally refers to lobsters. The bottom-feeding crustaceans, generally the blue American lobsters, have long been a staple in the North American diet, possessing a nutritious and rich flavor without the extra calories. Lobsters werent always the exquisite delicacy of five-star restaurants, though, and were once as common as cockroaches. Nowadays, "cockroaches of the sea" has come to represent a variety of creatures from the ocean.

Cockroaches and lobsters belong to the same phylum: Arthropoda. Arthropods are invertebrates with exoskeletons, segmented bodies and jointed appendages. Most arthropods lay eggs and experience some form of metamorphosis. Phylum Arthropoda contains more species than all of the other phyla combined. Lobsters may look like cockroaches and crabs may look like spiders, but appe...