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Electric blue lobster saved from the pot


Still Waters

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An incredible electric-blue lobster has been saved from the dinner table after it was spotted at a fish market and rehomed.

The striking crustacean was found by stunned fishermen off the east coast of Scotland and displayed for sale at a fish market in London.

However, fishmonger Rex Goldsmith thought the stunning lobster was too nice to eat and bought it before handing it over to researchers at the Natural History Museum.

Scientists at the museum believe the European lobster, traditionally a much darker shade of blue, hatched out with the unusual colour due to a rare genetic variant.

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Fantastic to have found such a colorful specimen. I also enjoy that the News site posted the scientific name, making research much easier.

I do not specialize in aquatic invertebrates, but they do fascinate me.

Homarus gammarus, or the Common European Lobster shares a very similar code (artificial hybrids have been made, though they would likely not happen in the wild, no overlap) to the American lobster. If the coloration rates are similar, the story is about a one on two to five million lobster. Though that is the stat for a ruddy American variety.

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I remember in college my biology professor had a small collection of blue crawfish. Differing shades of blue, but blue they were.

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I remember in college my biology professor had a small collection of blue crawfish. Differing shades of blue, but blue they were.

While quite beautiful, that is an ordinary variation in specific breeds, the lobster is quite rare.

After reading that, I think I sound a bit rude, I apologize, though I have no way of saying it better. I did not mean it as an affront to you, nor your post. It was meant as a comparison, not an attack.

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So what you're saying is that oddly coloured crawfish are more common than oddly coloured lobsters?

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So what you're saying is that oddly coloured crawfish are more common than oddly coloured lobsters?

With all respect, yes. In fact, there is quite a market for the species that naturally are blue.

http://www.bluecrayfish.com/ <-- not my site, but it does list species that are blue, naturally. If one of them came up albino, it would appear as a higher odd than a Blue lobster of the species listed in the news article. Though a "wild" lobster having a color mutation at adulthood is far less likely than a crawfish, raised in captivity having a coloration mutation at adulthood.

EDIT: species that are blue and commonly sold are listed by scientific name at that site. LINK

Edited by RedSquirrel
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no they wouldnt.we are able to recognize beauty and somthing special.we americans can take a pause and think,smell the roses

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No american would be that kind. They'd have eaten it without it even touching the sides.

I do so love generalizations.

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No american would be that kind. They'd have eaten it without it even touching the sides.

Wow. I didn't know you knew them all.

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I wonder...

Since the most beautiful specimens seem to be saved from the pot, would it be wrong of me to assume that --given enough time-- natural selection will gravitate towards lobsters all having these beautiful colors?

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I would have chucked it in the pot anyway. I wouldn't care what colour it is. It'd probably still taste delicious. And there's nothing better than hearing them scream as they are scolded to death.

Edited by Blackwhite
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Alright, i going to catch some crab and paint it green :w00t:

Don't you mean blue? Anyway...that's cheating :P

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Alright, i going to catch some crab and paint it green :w00t:

Although catching crabs may be fun, I assume having them is not.

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