Rare two-colored lobster caught by fishermen off Cape Cod donated to aquarium
The crustacean is one of about 1 in 50 million split-colored lobsters and will be displayed when the aquarium reopens after renovations.
- On April 16, fishermen caught a rare split-color lobster off Cape Cod, which Wellfleet Shellfish Company donated to Woods Hole Science Aquarium instead of selling it.
- This rare 1-in-50-million specimen is a chimera, formed when two fertilized, unlaid eggs fused and one absorbed the other, creating a lobster with two sets of genetic information.
- The lobster currently resides in a holding tank at Marine Biological Laboratory while the aquarium undergoes repairs. Dan Brandt, chief operating officer of Wellfleet, noted the creature 'has been through a lot' to survive.
- When the aquarium reopens next year, the split-color lobster will be 'one of the first animals going back into the aquarium,' aquarium biotechnician Julia Studley said. Staffers have not yet named the crustacean.
- Genetic mutations produce unusual hues like 'cotton candy' and calico in lobsters, but these distinct markings often prevent survival in the wild because they lack camouflage to avoid predators.
61 Articles
61 Articles
This Lobster Can't Decide Which Color It Wants to Be
It might be a divided lobster, but it has united New Englanders in fascination. A Cape Cod seafood company has donated a rare two-colored lobster to a science center, sparing the critter from the kettle because of its remarkable coloration. The lobster found is the typical brown color on one...
Two-colored lobster caught off Cape Cod donated to aquarium
It might be a divided lobster, but it has united New Englanders in fascination. A Cape Cod seafood company has donated a rare two-colored lobster to a science center, sparing the critter from the kettle because of its remarkable coloration. The lobster found is the typical brown color on one side and bright orange on the other, and the two-toned pattern goes all the way from its head to its tail. Representatives for Wellfleet Shellfish Company i…
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