Rare BLUE lobster rescued from pot has found a home where it can live a ‘long, happy life’ after being captured by fishermen – and rescuers now want suggestions for a name
- Fishmongers say the chances of finding such a lobster are about one in two million
A beautiful and extremely rare blue lobster, caught by fishmongers off the coast of western France, has been spared the pot and now needs an appropriate nickname.
Fishmongers at Les Viviers de Noirmoutier, a fish shop in France, were shocked when they came across the unusual crustacean while fishing off the coast of Île d’Yeu, a small commune on the west coast of France.
According to the retailer’s Facebook post, the odds of finding a blue lobster are about one in two million, making this a particularly unique discovery.
Rather than take advantage of the rarity of their cargo’s stunning sapphire color, the fishmongers decided to take a compassionate route.
In collaboration with the Île d’Yeu tourism office, they have identified a suitable habitat for the lobster’s release, where fishing is prohibited so that the lobster can continue its life undisturbed.
Now the seafood retailer asks his Facebook followers to come up with a nickname for the curious creature.
Fishmongers at Les Viviers de Noirmoutier, a fish shop in France, were shocked when they came across the unusual crustacean while fishing off the coast of Île d’Yeu, a small commune on the west coast of France.
The highly unusual blue hue exhibited by the crustacean off the coast of France is the result of a genetic mutation that causes the cells in the lobster’s shells to produce a specific pigment.
The lobster was returned to a coastal area where fishing is not allowed
Fishmongers have asked Facebook users for help in coming up with a suitable nickname for the lobster
According to the retailer’s Facebook post, the odds of finding a blue lobster are approximately one in two million, making this a particularly unique discovery
Normally, lobsters are brown in color during their life, but turn bright red when cooked.
But as with any animal, some abnormalities exist.
The highly unusual blue hue displayed by the crustacean off the coast of France is the result of a genetic mutation that causes the cells in the lobster’s shells to produce a specific pigment.
But while blue lobsters are rare, they are not completely unheard of.
The New England Aquarium received its own blue lobster in 2020, and other blue lobster cases have been reported, including one discovered in 2022 by a father-son fishing duo in Casco Bay, Maine.
Although these colorful lobsters attract attention, they all eventually turn red when exposed to the cooking pot – with the exception of the extremely rare white lobsters and albino lobsters.
These animals are much rarer; researchers estimate that they occur only once in every 100 million lobsters.