Uniquely Colored Lobsters in the Northeast
Emily Tripp
Recently, strange colored lobsters have been showing up in the fishing grounds of New England and Atlantic Canada. Blue, orange, yellow, calico, white, and multi-colored lobsters are being reported more and more frequently.
Normal lobsters are a greenish-brown color. Aside from their different color, these lobsters are still perfectly normal and have the same taste.
Michael Tlusty, research director at the New England Aquarium in Boston says the reason for the increase in strangely colored lobsters is anybody’s guess. Some speculate that it is simply a result of increased social media–it’s easier to spread the photos of the lobsters. Another possible explanation is that the overall catch has grown fourfold in the last 20 years. With more lobsters being caught, the likelihood of catching a bright blue one is greater.
“Right now you can make a lot of explanations, but the actual data to find them out just isn’t there,” explained Tlusty.
For more information, check out the Huffington Post story here: Colored Lobsters Appearing more Frequently in the Northeast.
Color Variations in Lobsters. Left: Normal color, Photo Credit Roberto Rodriguez. Right: Yellow lobster, Photo Credit Stephen G Johnson.
Copyright © 2012 by Marine Science Today, a publication of OceanLines LLC.
