Tom Lambourn was fishing off the Cornish coast when he pulled up his trap and found someone special inside. Among the normal lobsters, there was one who was as bright blue as a Crayola crayon.
This extremely rare lobster is believed to be one in two million, according to the National Lobster Hatchery.
This “color morph” is the result of a chance genetic mutation, which means the lobster will retain his unique color throughout his life.
“Blue lobsters are, in fact, the result of a single mutation of one piece of the SNA,” LobsterAnywhere wrote on their site. “This mutation causes an overproduction of a particular protein. This results in the bright blue pigment, rather than the typical mix of pigments that give the typical greenish-brown.”
Blue lobsters have been spotted in places where lobsters reside, including the United Kingdom and North America. Lobsters may also be found in a variety of bright colors, such as yellow, orange, calico, and even “cotton candy.”
The lobster’s typical greenish-brown or blueish-brown coloring helps him blend into his natural environment on the seafloor. These color mutations can put the lobster at a bit of a disadvantage, making him more obvious to predators. However, with their hard exoskeletons and strong claws, these tough crustaceans can stand up to most anyone looking for an easy meal.
Tom Lambourn was only in his second season of fishing off the coast of Penzance when he made such a find. The foot-long lobster, however, was too little to be brought to shore, so Lambourn returned him to the sea, where he might continue to develop and prosper.
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