Photo: This Blue Lobster Is So Rare That You Will Find Only ‘One In Two Million’

Have you ever wondered what a blue lobster would look like? Experts from Oxford University’s zoology department have revealed that the chance of catching a blue lobster has been estimated at about one in two million. But, this feat was recently achieved when a fisherman found this unique creature on the southern Cornish coastline in the UK. It was spotted by Chris Puckey, who discovered the crustacean in one of his traps near Polperro village on Sunday, May 5. The extraordinary lobster has grabbed the eyeballs of many around the world, as people have been excited to know the reason for its unusual colour.

Chris Puckey has attracted a lot of media attention due to the unique colour of the lobster. As per reports by the BBC, the main reason behind the electric blue hue of the recently found lobster is due to a genetic anomaly that leads to excessive production of a specific protein in its body. Andrew Hebda, who is curator of zoology at the Museum of Natural History in Nova Scotia, previously told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that a lobster is like a painting. She added that it doesn’t look like the usual lobster that is often found in the sea. The colours have been suppressed due to a genetic mutation.

After discovering the lobster, Puckey took it to Jacqueline Spencer, a fishmonger and owner of Kitty’s Lobster, Crab and Seafood Shack, which serves locally caught seafood in Polperro. She told the BBC that earlier they had decided to return it to the sea, but they feared that it might be eaten by other predators. As a result, Puckey and Spencer decided to donate the lobster to a nearby aquarium for its protection. She further said that the fisherman has gotten a good price for the unique lobster.

This is not the first time that an extraordinary lobster has been found. Last year, in September, a couple in Boston found a rare periwinkle blue lobster in Marblehead. They found it after a storm hit the area. But, the couple ultimately decided to put the lobster back in the ocean because they worried about bad luck with the incoming storm.