Connecticut Fishermen Catch Blue Lobster

A pair of Connecticut fishermen caught a rare lobster on Sunday. What made the lobster special wasn't its size, but its color. Steve Hatch and his Uncle Robert Green caught the one-and-a-half pound blue lobster in traps placed at the mouth of the Thames River in New London, Conn.

As The Associated Press reports, the creature's blue color is caused by a rare genetic mutation. University of Connecticut researchers say the blue coloration of the lobster results from excessive production of a certain protein due to a genetic mutation. While blue lobsters may look bizarre, the creatures are not unheard of. In fact, they may be more common than people think.

In an interview with The Day of New London newspaper, Hatch said, "I've heard about them but this is the first one I've ever seen."

After catching the blue sea creature, Hatch and his uncle placed the lobster in a cooler and presented it to the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration. At the aquarium, the lobster will find its new home in an elementary school classroom for children to discover and learn about rare blue lobsters.

The lobster will also join two other blue lobsters already at the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration. KSDK reports Hatch decided to share his catch with the world rather than "drop it in a pot of boiling water."

KSDK quotes Hatch as saying, "This lobster had a nice, pretty blue color, and underneath was pure white... At least I get to watch him grow up while he's at the aquarium."

According to WTNH, Curator of Fish and Invertebrates Catherine Ellis explains that the genetically mutated blue lobster only occurs once in around 3 million lobsters.

"It's just the appearance of an extra protein that makes them look brilliant blue," said Ellis.

While some lobsters turn blue because of objects in the water or foods they eat, they usually return to their normal red color as they molt. For genetically mutated blue lobsters, the blue color tends to get brighter the more it molts. However, Ellis claims the blue coloration disappears if a blue lobster is cooked like red lobsters.

Because Sunday's blue lobster is such a bright blue color - brighter than the other two already at the aquarium - Ellis told WTNH, "When they molt is when they are at their most spectacular, so it is likely that this lobster may have molted very recently."

"Rare Blue Lobster Avoids The Cooker." The Associated Press. URL: (http://www.wral.com/news/strange/story/1494974/).

"Conn. Fisherman Catch Rare Blue Lobster." KSDK.com. URL: (http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=121811).

Tina Detelij. "Fishermen catch blue lobster." WTNH.com. URL: (http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=6643063&nav=3YeX).