Dubbed “Haddie,” the cotton candy-colored lobster was caught in by a lobsterman in Casco Bay, Maine. Most lobsters are reddish-brown in color, but this particular female was adorned in an iridescent blue and pink shell. The odds of catching a lobster of this hue are estimated to be 1 in 100 million.
This fancy female was caught by Bill Coppersmith, a Maine lobsterman and supplier for Get Maine Lobster. This is the first of such lobsters the online delivery service has ever come across, according to CEO Mark Murrell. Coppersmith has caught other unique lobsters in the past, though, including an orange and white individual. Like this one, he named it after one of his grandchildren.
The unique coloring is a result of a genetic mutation, according to the University of Maine Lobster Institute’s Christina Cash. Overexpression of proteins that attach to the lobster’s carotenoid pigment (the one that gives lobsters their brown and green coloring) create the bluish tint, she says.
Haddie is lucky to be alive with her uncommon coloring. While she’s beautiful, her lighter shades make her stand out on the ocean floor, making it harder for her to blend into her natural environment and avoid predation. She won’t be heading back to the sea anytime soon; this female was transported to Seacoast Science Center in Rye, New Hampshire where she will live out her days as an ambassador for her species.
