lobster

Meanwhile in Maine: Rare Cotton-Candy Lobster Named Haddie Caught, Too Pretty to Eat But We Will Anyway (Sorry Haddie)

The color we most commonly associate with lobster is red. (Hello, there’s a restaurant named as such.) But the crustaceans that taste so delectable when cooked and dipped in butter actually come in more than just one hue, from blackish-brown to orange to white. But the latest catch by a Maine lobsterman is almost too pretty to eat.

It’s called a cotton-candy lobster, and its exterior is a whimsical combination of blue and pink, just like the fluffy spun sugar candy we all went nuts for as kids.

Bill Coppersmith, a Maine lobsterman and supplier for lobster delivery company Get Maine Lobster, found the unique marine animal in Casco Bay. This eye-catching creature is extremely rare; chances of nabbing one in your net are about 1 in 100 million.

The coloring is due to a genetic mutation (not global warming, thank goodness). To get super scientific, this alteration occurs when there’s an overexpression of a particular protein.

See the beauty for yourself:

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Of course, as cool as this lobster’s color is, an aberration like this can make a lobster’s life harder because predators can spot it in the wild more easily. That’s not the case for this lobster, however, which has been adopted, named Haddie, and will be relocated to the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, New Hampshire. She’ll never end up on anybody’s plate.

Next time you’re about to sit down to a tasty surf ‘n’ turf dinner, remember Haddie – and maybe order the vegan option instead.

Cover Photo: Get Maine Lobster

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