Fisherman Reels in Ultra-Rare One-in-Two-Million Blue Lobster

  • A one-in-two-million find: Larry, the rare BLUE lobster, is caught in Devon  | Daily Mail Online

An extremely rare blue lobster was discovered by a fisherman along the coast of Cornwall before being released back into the sea.

A fisherman off the coast of Maine recently reeled in a cotton candy colored lobster

Tom Lambourn, 25, from Newlyn, had been fishing off the coastal town of Penzance when he captured the foot-long colourful crustacean in his lobster pot.

Haddie (right) is not going to be someone's meal, though. Instead, it is currently swimming in a tank at Get Maine until it can go to an aquarium for the rest of its days

The fisherman photographed the rare ‘one-in-two-million’ creature before releasing it back into the sea as it was ‘too small to bring into land’.

He said: ‘With every pot you never know what is going to be inside, and I’ve certainly never seen one that colour before.

The rare 'one in two million' blue lobster was captured off the Cornish coast of Penzance
Tom Lambourn (pictured), 25, from Newlyn, had been fishing off the Cornish coast when he captured the colourful crustacean

‘This is only my second fishing season so I think I’ve been very lucky.

Bill Coppersmith (pictured) caught the cotton candy crustacean in Maine’s Casco Bay

‘I measured it and it was undersized so there was never any thought of keeping it.

‘If it had been bigger, I would have taken it to the National Hatchery.

Fisherman catches ultra rare 'one in two million' blue lobster | National |  gjsentinel.com

‘I sent them some photos of the lobster and they told me it is one-in-two-million so that is quite special.

A spokesman for National Lobster Hatchery in Padstow, Cornwall, said: ‘It is a pretty rare colour morph to come across, about one in two million chance, so we were amazed when Tom sent us the photo of it.

A 1-in-2 million chance catch: Irish fisherman nets rare blue lobster | The  Straits Times

‘The lobster was too small to bring in to land so was popped back in the sea so it can keep growing.

‘Who knew that a crustacean could be so vibrant?’

Its astonishing colour is truly arresting

Ben Marshall, National Lobster Hatchery supervisor, said: ‘It is very, very rare and very interesting to see a blue lobster.

‘The skipper threw it back as it was under the length you are allowed to catch lobsters in Cornwall (12ins).

Mr Lambourn deiced to photograph the rare find before letting it go back into the sea
Blue lobsters acquire their colour as a result of a genetic defect that causes them to produce excessive levels of protein

‘Blue lobsters have a different colour pigmentation in their shells which means they find if much harder to camouflage so they get preyed upon, reducing their numbers.’

In 2005, Professor Ronald Christensen, at the University of Connecticut, discovered that blue lobsters acquired their colour as a result of a genetic defect.

Rarity: A rare blue lobster, pictured, was caught last month off the Canadian coast in a one-in-two million find thanks to a naturally excessive amount of a particular protein

The defect causes the lobsters to produce excessive levels of a protein that combines with a red carotenoid molecule known as astaxanthin.

This then forms a blue complex known as crustacyanin and it is this that gives the lobsters their unusual colour.

The blue lobster caught for the second time by Stuart Brown

Speaking at the time Dr Christensen said: ‘I suspect more blue lobsters than we realise are born but don’t survive because they become major targets for predators.

‘The reason you don’t want to be a blue lobster is you stick out like a sore thumb.’

Stunned Brit fisherman catches ultra-rare blue lobster – and immediately  lets it go - Daily Star

In 2016, a blue lobster was caught by fisherman Keith Setter at Ladram Bay, off the Devon coast, before it was released back into the sea.

 

And in 2011 two fishermen in Dorset were able to capture an albino, or ‘crystal’, lobster near Portland Bill before they handed the rare creatures to Weymouth Sea Life Park.

Meanwhile in 2006, lobsterman David Percy caught a yellow lobster near Whaleback Island in the US at the mouth of the Kennebec River.

Fishermen who come across blue lobsters believe it to be a sign of good luck and usually do not eat it.

Related Posts

Desperate Stray Kitten Gives Her All To Bring Her ‘Dad’ Back To Life

Sharing is caring! Facebook Pinterest Recently, a group of passionate cat enthusiasts was alerted by their local community about a kitten crying in a dingy street.  The concerned locals reported that the poor little girl had been wailing for three days …

Goofy Kitty Swallows Bubblegum And Ends Up With A Problem Ready To Pop!

Sharing is caring! Facebook Pinterest It’s no secret that our feline companions are some of the silliest creatures that ever walked the Earth!  The things they do and the sticky situations they often find themselves in never cease to amaze.  Just recently, …

Kitten Breathing Her Last Breath Miraculously Rescued By A Canine Friend

Sharing is caring! Facebook Pinterest One day, Erin was walking her dog when she saw something super tiny lying on the ground. She immediately went to check it and the discovery brought tears to her eyes. A kitten, left on the street to await her final …

14-Year-Old Stray Cat Runs Up To A Woman’s Car Desperately Begging For Help

Sharing is caring! Facebook Pinterest When Kris Northrup, an experienced cat rescuer, went on a short vacation with her family, she truly believed she’d get some rest. However, an encounter with a senior stray cat changed everything. Credit: Kris Northrup …

Owner Dyes Cat’s Fur In Different Colors And When You See Why You’ll Be Totally Amazed

Sharing is caring! Facebook Pinterest In the world of cats, especially strays and those who don’t have a set place in the group, white cats usually end up at the bottom of the social ladder. It’s almost like their soft, gentle look makes them easy targets, …

California Man Falls On His Knees Once Firefighter Pulls Out His Cat From A Burning House

Sharing is caring! Facebook Pinterest As a cat mom, I couldn’t hold my tears when I first stumbled upon this heartbreaking video.  Thinking about my cats being stuck in a burning house is a nightmare. Sadly, this was a reality for a California resident …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *