Not every lobster is the same animal. Around the world, several very different creatures all get called lobster, and each one has its own best use. Here is how to tell them apart and pick the right one for what you are cooking.
Maine and European lobsters are clawed, cold-water lobsters with sweet meat in the claws and tail. Spiny and rock lobsters are clawless and warm-water, with all the firm meat in the tail. Langoustine (the Norway lobster) is a small, delicate clawed lobster. Crayfish are bite-sized freshwater cousins. None is better, each suits a different dish.
Maine and American lobster
The lobster most people picture is Homarus, the clawed, cold-water lobster of the North Atlantic. The American or Maine lobster gives you sweet meat in both the big claws and the tail, which is why it shines in a buttery roll or served whole. If you love cracking a claw, this is your lobster.
European and Breton blue lobster
Its close cousin, the European lobster, is the petit bleu de Bretagne, prized in French kitchens since antiquity for firm, dense flesh and a clean, briny flavor. It is the choice for a refined dish like homard a l'armoricaine. Same claws, a slightly more iodised, gourmet character.
Spiny and rock lobster
In warmer waters, from the Caribbean to Australia to Japan, lives the spiny or rock lobster. It belongs to a different family, has long antennae and almost no claws, and keeps all its meat in a big, firm tail. It is the pick for grilled lobster tail and for anyone who wants maximum tail and does not mind skipping the claws.
Langoustine and crayfish
Smaller still is the langoustine, also known as the Norway lobster, Dublin Bay prawn or scampi: a slim, coral-colored clawed lobster with delicate, luxurious tail meat. And in fresh water you will find crayfish, the bite-sized cousins behind Louisiana boils and Sweden's crayfish parties. Both are sweet, both are a treat, just on a smaller scale.
Find the lobster you want
Different regions serve different lobsters, so it pays to know what is local. Browse every city we have mapped, or visit a clawed-lobster capital like Portland, Maine or Boston. Deciding between a roll style? Read Maine vs Connecticut lobster roll, or compare shells in soft-shell vs hard-shell.
Lobster species: FAQ
Maine vs spiny? Maine has claws and cold-water sweetness. Spiny is clawless with a big firm tail.
Is a langoustine a lobster? Yes, a small clawed one, also called Norway lobster or scampi.
Lobster vs crayfish? Crayfish are smaller freshwater cousins, sweet but bite-sized.
Claws or tail, cold water or warm, sea or freshwater. Pick the lobster that fits the dish, and every one of them rewards you.
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