What Robinson Russell found in his lobster trap in November shocked him.
When asked where he lived, Russell told The Dodo, “I reside on a little island off the coast of New Brunswick, Canada called Grand Manan.” “In nearly two decades of fishing, this is the first fish of this color I’ve seen.”
Luckily the lobster stood out from the crowd thanks to his beautiful, nearly transparent shell that glowed with vibrant blue and purple colors.
Even though Lucky can pass for white, he is not an albino. The “cotton candy” moniker was given to him because of his vibrant rainbow coloration.
Russell thought he’d never see another capture like it since, according to the University of Maine’s Lobster Institute, a lobster-like Lucky is one in a hundred million.
Cynthia Callahan, manager of the Huntsman Marine Science Center, claims that the lobster’s shell turns a characteristic brownish green because different pigments are expressed. Lucky’s unusual coloring is from a genetic mutation that allows some of the shell’s red, blue, or yellow pigments to become transparent. Russell has witnessed lobsters of varying hues, including orange, blue, and yellow, all coming from the same ocean.
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However, being lucky was the rarest of all traits.
Russell knew that Lucky was special and he couldn’t stand the idea of someone eating such an interesting creature.
“We called it Lucky on the way in,” Russell said, “and I shared a couple of photographs of it on Instagram.” I just couldn’t bring myself to sell it, so I gave it to the Huntsman Marine Aquarium in St. Andrews, where I hope it will live out its days in peace.
We certainly hope that Russell’s generosity will provide this lobster a future in the wild.
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