Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. They have long bodies with muscular tails, and live in crevices or burrows on the sea floor.
The American Lobster obtains oxygen in the form of dissolved oxygen. This is oxygen that has been dissolved into water. Water enters the gills, located in bronchial chambers near the head, and the oxygen is extracted from the water in the gills. The lobster uses its tail to push water into the gills. Also, it pushes water the other way, making the water go out of the chambers every few minutes to clean the CO2. After the gills, the oxygen then enters the blood, or circulatory system, of the lobster. The cells then take the oxygen from the blood stream and perform cellular respiration. Diffusion occurs when the lobster consumes food, the sugar enters the blood stream and then enters the cells by diffusion. The glucose is then used to make ATP. Lobsters can survive for 12 to 24 hours out of water because they keep their gills moist with bodily fluids which allows the oxygen to enter the body!