Off the coast of New England, a lobster company recently caught a creature that aquarists say occurs only once in 100 million.
A fisherman with the Atlantic Lobster Company caught a cotton candy lobster in the waters off New Hampshire and Maine on July 24 and brought it to the Seacoast Science Center at Odiorne Point State Park.
The center is located in the town of Rye, about 50 miles east of the state capital of Concord.
“It is still in our quarantine tanks and is getting used to the environment,” Michelle Dillon, a spokeswoman for the center, told USA TODAY.
Watch the cotton candy lobster explore his new home
Rare alert: Beautiful cotton candy colored lobster caught
An extremely rare cotton candy crustacean has been caught off the coast of New Hampshire.
Here are some facts about the beautiful blue, pink and purple sea crabs:
How many cotton candy lobsters are there?
Sam Rutka, an aquarist at the center, said the cotton candy lobster specimens are about “1 in 100 million.”
Why is it called cotton candy lobster?
Lobsters come in a variety of colors, including orange, yellow, red, blue and cotton candy, a mix of pink and purple tones on a blue background that is reminiscent of “cotton candy,” hence the name, Rutka said.
“There are also split lobsters, which are red on one side and black on the other, for example; and also calico, another rare coloration in which the lobster has a characteristic black and orange speckled color pattern,” Rutka said.
Are there other rare lobsters?
Yes, there are other rare lobsters. There are two cotton candy lobsters in the science center, as well as an orange lobster and a few blue lobsters.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X at @nataliealund.
