Stunning and Rare Bright Blue Lobster Caught in Fisherman's Net
A fisherman off the Cornish coast got a surprise few people ever will, a bright blue lobster turned up in his trap, and it looked almost unreal beside the usual catch.
Tom Lambourn was working near Penzance when he found the rare lobster among the others, a moment that quickly stood out because of just how unusual the animal's color was. The sight was striking, and the odds of spotting one like it are incredibly small.
He did not keep it for long, and that only makes the story more memorable.
According to the National Lobster Hatchery, this lobster is believed to be one in two million!
How does something like a bright blue, one in two million lobster happen naturally?
How does something like a bright blue, one in two million lobster happen naturally?
Like many extraordinary occurrences in the animal kingdom, this "color morph" of the lobster is caused by a genetic mutation. Additionally, this super-special lobster will maintain this unbelievable color through all his years of molting!
That rare color has turned up in a few places, from the United Kingdom to the United States.
LobsterAnywhere wrote on their website:
“Blue lobsters are, in fact, the result of a single mutation of one piece of the SNA. This mutation causes an overproduction of a particular protein, resulting in the bright blue pigment, rather than the typical mix of pigments that give the usual greenish-brown.”
Wherever lobsters live, the occasional blue one has been spotted, including in the United Kingdom and the United States!
Lambourn's sighting was even more memorable because it was only his second season fishing off Penzance.
Genetics can create surprises, like divers capturing a rare giant squid encounter near Japan.
Lobsters come in a variety of naturally occurring colors, including yellow, orange, calico, and even “cotton candy.”
This one-in-a-million cotton candy lobster was discovered by lobsterman Robinson Russell.
That blue lobster went right back where it came from.
Under the sea, a lobster's typical coloring is more of a greenish-brown, which helps the creature evade predators.
Naturally, this means that a vibrantly colored lobster is more vulnerable. However, even brightly colored lobsters aren't an "easy" meal; they have hard exoskeletons and strong claws that are perfect for ocean-life defense.
After seeing a blue lobster that’s one in two million, watch a diver face danger with a barrel jellyfish diver meets off England’s coast.
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