Why can one lobster be a different color than a typical brown lobster?
That is what researchers at the University of New England want to find out after receiving donations of two rare colored lobsters.
Markus Frederich, a professor of marine sciences, and his students plan on using non-invasive DNA-testing methods to finally solve the mystery behind these odd-colored crustaceans. They’ll do that with the help of their test subjects, including a purple lobster named Fig and an orange one-clawed lobster dubbed Peaches that became an internet sensation in June 2023.
The University of New England has a menagerie of lobsters, including a 1-in-50 million blue-and-brown split-colored one, and a range of 1-in-30 million to 1-in-50 million yellow, orange and calico palettes.
Other rare colored lobsters caught in Maine are the 1-in-2 million blue color variant and the 1-in-100 million ghost lobster.
Unlike the one-clawed Peaches, some lobsters can grow claws on top of claws after an injury.
