How a Fisherman Caught a Rare Blue Lobster and Gave It a New Home
Have you ever seen a blue lobster? If not, you are not alone. Blue lobsters are one of the rarest creatures in the ocean, with a stunning sapphire color that makes them stand out from the crowd. But how do they get their blue hue, and what are the chances of finding one? In this blog post, we will tell you the story of a fisherman who caught a rare blue lobster and donated it to an aquarium, where it will be displayed and cared for. We will also explain the science behind the blue lobster’s color and why it is so uncommon.
The Lucky Catch
Sean McKenna is a fisherman from Maine, who has been fishing for lobsters for over 30 years. He has seen many different kinds of lobsters in his career, but nothing prepared him for what he found in one of his traps on August 8, 2023. As he pulled up his trap, he noticed something unusual: a bright blue lobster among the usual brown ones.
“I was shocked. I couldn’t believe my eyes,” McKenna said. “I’ve never seen anything like it before. It was beautiful.”
McKenna knew that he had caught something special. He estimated that the lobster was about 10 years old and weighed about 1.5 pounds. He also noticed that it was a male, based on the shape of its swimmerets, the small appendages under its tail.
McKenna decided to name the lobster Lucky, because he felt lucky to have found it. He also decided to donate the lobster to the Maine State Aquarium, where it could be displayed and cared for by experts.
McKenna wanted to share the amazing fruit with others and protect it from predators to help conserve the species.
The aquarium staff was excited to receive the rare lobster from McKenna. They picked up Lucky from her boat and took him to their facility in Boothbay Harbor.
The Blue Lobster’s New Home
At the Maine State Aquarium, Lucky was welcomed by a team of biologists and veterinarians, who examined him and gave him a health check. They confirmed that Lucky was indeed a rare blue lobster, with a genetic mutation that causes him to produce more of a certain protein than normal lobsters.
This protein, called crustacyanin, binds with astaxanthin, a pigment that gives lobsters their typical reddish-brown color. When there is more crustacyanin than astaxanthin, the pigment reflects blue light instead of red light, resulting in a blue color.
The aquarium staff said that Lucky was in good condition and had no injuries or diseases. They also said that Lucky was very calm and friendly, and seemed to enjoy being handled by humans.
“He’s very docile and cooperative. He doesn’t pinch or snap at us,” said aquarium curator Aimee Hayden-Roderiques. “He’s very curious and likes to explore his surroundings.”
Lucky was observed and fed in a small tank for a while. Later, he was moved to a larger tank with different lobsters.
The aquarium staff said that Lucky was getting along well with his new tank mates, and that he was attracting a lot of attention from visitors.
“People are fascinated by him. They want to know more about him and why he’s blue,” Hayden-Roderiques said. “He’s definitely a star attraction here.”
The Blue Lobster’s Rarity
Lucky is not the only blue lobster in the world, but he is certainly one of the rarest. According to experts, the chances of catching a blue lobster are about one in two million. That means that there are only about 200 blue lobsters in existence, out of an estimated 400 million lobsters in the Atlantic Ocean.
However, blue lobsters are not the only unusual lobsters out there. There are also other colors of lobsters that are even rarer than blue ones, such as yellow, orange, white, calico, and split-colored (half one color and half another). These colors are also caused by genetic mutations or environmental factors that affect the pigment production or distribution in the lobster’s shell.
The rarest of all lobsters is the albino lobster, which has no pigment at all and is completely white. The odds of finding an albino lobster are about one in 100 million.
Conclusion
Lucky is a unique blue Rare lobster found in Maine. He has a special genetic mutation that gives him his vibrant blue color. Lucky is now living in an aquarium, where he will be taken care of and admired by visitors.
We hope you enjoyed learning about Lucky and his story. If you want to see Lucky for yourself, you can visit him at the Maine State Aquarium, where he is open to the public. You can also learn more about lobsters and their colors by visiting these websites: National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, or any other source that you prefer. You can also ask me to search for more information by typing #search_web followed by a query of your choice. For example, you can type #search_web(“lobster facts”) and see what I find for you. 😊
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