Lobster's underbelly is as tough as industrial rubber

(Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Flip a lobster on its back, and you'll see that the underside of its tail is split in segments connected by a translucent membrane that appears rather vulnerable when compared with the armor-like carapace that shields the rest of the crustacean. But engineers at MIT and elsewhere have found that this soft membrane is surprisingly tough, with a microscopic, layered, plywood-like structure that makes it remarkably tolerant to scrapes and cuts.

from EurekAlert! - Technology, Engineering and Computer Science http://bit.ly/2V72rBI