Updated November 24th, 2019 at 14:22 IST
Seen This? US man turning 'Cotton candy lobster'-magnet; goes two-for-two
Maine man caught a rare cotton candy lobster off Cape Rosier in Penobscot Bay for the second time. He caught one 4 years ago which he donated to an aquarium
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A Maine man caught a rare cotton candy lobster off Cape Rosier in Penobscot Bay for the second time three months ago. Four years ago, he caught one which he donated to an aquarium in Connecticut. There are very rare chances of finding cotton candy lobster which is mostly found in Maine. The lobster gained a bit of social media attention after being caught near Canada’s Grand Manan Island close to the Canada Maine border last summer. A Portland restaurant Scales, came across one during the same season. According to the reports, the cotton candy lobsters could be the result of a genetic mutation or may be related to what they are eating.
READ: EU Rebuffs American Pitch Of Quick Deal For More Lobsters
Lobsters get their usual greenish-blue shade
Lobsters get their usual greenish-blue shade when crustacyanin a protein they produce combines with astaxanthin, a bright red carotenoid found in their diet. If the lobsters do not eat their usual astaxanthin-rich food like crabs and shrimp, they result in a lack of pigment which could give them a pastel appearance. The lobster has a vibrant purple, blue and pinkish shell that stands out dramatically next to its brownish relatives. According to the Lobster Institute at the University of Maine, most American lobsters are dark bluish-green to greenish-brown.
READ: Tension Thaws Over Whale Plan Between Lobstermen, Feds
Food chain plays a very important role
Their occurrence is very rare and their bright colors make it harder for them to hide from predators. The rarest lobster is the albino lobster which appears 1 in 100 million lobsters. The 2 lb. lobster, known as Lucky, was caught by Canadian fisherman Robinson Russell off Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick last November. Marine biologists said that the food chain also plays a role in their rarity. Researchers said that they are very rare species and are available one in million.
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Published November 23rd, 2019 at 17:52 IST