Fisherman Catches Extremely Rare Bright Blue Lobster

He's one in two million!

Tom Lambourn was fishing off the Cornish coast when he pulled up his trap and found someone special inside. Among the normal lobsters, there was one who was as bright blue as a Crayola crayon.

This extremely rare lobster is believed to be one in two million, according to the National Lobster Hatchery.

Rare blue lobster found off Cornish coast
Facebook/National Lobster Hatchery

This “color morph” is caused by a random genetic mutation, which means the lobster will keep his rare color through all his years of molting.

Blue lobsters are, in fact, the result of a single mutation of one piece of the SNA,” LobsterAnywhere wrote on their site. “This mutation causes an overproduction of a particular protein. This results in the bright blue pigment, rather than the typical mix of pigments that give the typical greenish-brown.”

Vibrant blue lobster caught by UK fisherman
Facebook/National Lobster Hatchery

Blue lobsters have popped up occasionally wherever lobsters live — including the UK and North America. Lobsters can also come in a range of other brilliant hues, including yellow, orange, calico and even “cotton candy.”

The lobster’s typical greenish-brown or blueish-brown coloring helps him blend into his natural environment on the seafloor. These color mutations can put the lobster at a bit of a disadvantage, making him more obvious to predators. However, with their hard exoskeletons and strong claws, these tough crustaceans can stand up to most anyone looking for an easy meal.

Blue lobster is one in two million
Facebook/National Lobster Hatchery

It was only Tom Lambourn’s second season fishing off the coastal town of Penzance, and he was excited to make such a discovery. However, the foot-long lobster was too small to bring to land, so Lambourn released him back into the ocean, where he could continue to grow and thrive.