Super Rare 'Cotton Candy' Lobster Is Fisherman's Once-in-a-Lifetime Catch

Robinson Russell had been a lobster fisherman in Grand Manan, New Brunswick for more than 20 years. In that time, he’d seen plenty of lobster in plenty of colors and sizes. But he’d never seen one that looked like cotton candy...

On Nov. 21, 2017, Russell was one of six fishermen on his boat in the Bay of Fundy. When they pulled their traps, they found this remarkably colored 2-pound lobster.

While most lobsters are a greenish-brown (turning red when boiled), a small percentage span the color spectrum. Some lobsters are yellow, orange, blue, calico or even split-colored.

The chance of finding a lobster that isn’t naturally the color of mud is small. Blue lobsters are the easiest to find. The chance of seeing one of those is one in 2 million. Harder to find are a calico lobster (one in 30 million) or a split-colored lobster (one in 50 million.

A lobster like the one Russell and his fishing buddies found is the rarest find of them all. In fact, only one in every 100 million lobsters caught in the wild is a crystal or "cotton candy" lobster.

The reason behind a crystal lobster’s unique color is in its genetics. Crystal lobsters are, in fact, albino. Or, at least, they’re partially albino. According to the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, they suffer from a condition called leucism.

Leucism is only a partial loss of pigmentation. Lobsters like the one Russell caught still have some color on their shells and in their eyes. Dr. Andrew Jeffs at the University of Auckland’s Institute of Marine Science explains, “You get an unusual combination of genes that has an unusual color morph.”

Justin Rizzari, a research fellow at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), believes the rarity of brighter colored lobsters also has something to do with predators: “Evolutionarily, it is not conducive for survival.”

Despite their unique appearances, brightly colored lobsters are pretty much the same as any other lobster as far as their biology (or flavor) goes. But crystal lobsters are the only variation that doesn't turn bright red when boiled.

Russell immediately named his special find Lucky and took it to Harbour Grille, a restaurant in Gran Manan. Lucky wouldn't end up on any menu, though. He was given his own private tank and has been the center of attention at the restaurant.

For the most part, lobsters like Lucky get returned to the ocean after fisherman catch them. One buyer said, “As a lobster buyer for the past five years, what I can say is that whenever any different lobsters passed through our dock, they were saved and kept in our tanks till the end of the season and were released back into the water. I’ve seen and safely kept blues, calico, ghost and big boys to be released back into the wild.”

Lucky didn’t stay at Harbour Grille for long. Russell contacted the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in St. Andrews, who took the lobster immediately. “I really didn’t know what to do with it at first, so I decided to give it to the aquarium,” Russell said.

Like the lobster, there are tons of other species of animals out there that have strange genetic mutations giving them unique color variations. 

We’re used to seeing certain animals with certain markings. So when one in a species comes our way that’s lacking its usual colors, we’re apt to assume it’s an albino. But that isn’t always the case. 

Like the crystal lobster, the white peacock is a genetic variation of the Indian Blue Peafowl. Also like the crystal lobster, this bird has leucism, so their plumage may lack color, but their eyes remain normal.

The white tiger gets its color (or lack thereof) from a mutation in the gene for the tyrosinase enzyme, which gives Bengal tigers their red and yellow pigment. For a white tiger to exist, both parents must carry the gene mutation.

White or nearly white variations aren’t the only interesting biological color change happening in the wild. Some species go in the complete opposite direction, displaying vivid colors that are almost unbelievable.

The Amazon river dolphin is both the largest and most colorful of the river dolphin species. Their pink coloration could be the result of one of two things: blood vessels located close to their skin’s surface or repeated abrasion from intra-species aggression.

Although not quite as rare as the crystal lobster, the pink katydid is still fairly uncommon, occurring only once out of every 500. It gets its color from erythrism, which is a similar recessive gene to the one that causes albinism.

Not only does the pink orchid mantis — or walking flower mantis, as it’s also referred to — display insanely bright coloring, but it’s literally built for camouflage. The Southeast Asian insect has legs that look like flower petals, and it can change color depending on its background.

Contrary to what its name would have you believe, the barber pole grasshopper is not relegated to a dual-tone coloration. In fact, this particular species displays “aposematism” (warning coloration) in colors that range from red to yellow to green.

Also known as the common violet snail, the violet sea snail lives mostly on the surface of tropical warm waters. Its shell is countershaded, meaning it’s a lighter purple on the spire of the shell and darker on the ventral side.

Not only is the Nicobar pigeon one of the most unusually colored birds in existence — its plumage is copper and metallic green — it’s also a link to the prehistoric past. It happens to be the closest living relative of the extinct dodo.

Although typically grey in color, the regal ringneck snake can have bright red, orange or yellow markings along its body. Its venom is pretty weak as far as humans are concerned, but it's one of the only snakes that feeds primarily on other snakes.

Look at it. Just look at it. The Halloween crab gets its name because it's made up of every color associated with the holiday. Purple claws. Yellow and orange spots. Black body. It may just be the most beautiful crustacean in the world.