When the Stop & Shop in Southampton, Long Island, got their usual lobster delivery last month, they noticed an unusual glimpse of orange among the brownish hue they are used to. They later named the orange lobster Clementine and quickly learned that they struck the lobster jackpot: only one in 30 million lobsters is orange!
Intrigued
Employees at the Stop & Shop became all the more intrigued by this orange crustacean and reached out to the Long Island Aquarium, hoping they would take her in. Unfortunately, the aquarium declined the offer. Luckily, the Southampton Animal Shelter came to the rescue and alerted Humane Long Island about Clementine!
Lucky Lobster
Humane Long Island quickly contacted the Stop & Shop and secured the rare lobster’s release! The shop owners and employees were all too happy to surrender Clementine to Humane Long Island, as they agreed that she should lead a more natural life. Making Clementine not only the one in 30 million orange lobsters but one of the few who gets rescued from a supermarket!
Free At Last
Before her release, Clementine was rehabilitated in a large saltwater tank with the help of a veterinarian. She was then transported to the ocean in a big orange container, and her rescuers said as soon as she saw the ocean she was ready to go! The rubber bands securing her pinchers were removed, and she was sent back to her home. Yay, what a great day to be an orange lobster!
Not So Red
If you were to imagine a lobster, the color that comes to mind is most likely a bright red, correct? Lobsters actually only turn this bright red after they are cooked. In reality, most American lobsters are a greenish-brown or olive color. It is the cooking process that breaks down the color pigments in their shells causing cooked lobsters’ red color.
Unusual Color
If you thought all lobsters were the same color, Clementine the orange lobster certainly proved you wrong! We know that this is a one in 30 million occurrence, but why is she this odd color? Clementine’s orange color is due to a type of genetic mutation that affects and prevents one or more of her encoded proteins. In other words, when one or more of these proteins are prevented from doing their thing, lobsters can turn orange!
Genetics?
Another orange lobster that has gained popularity is named Peaches. Peaches is being studied by researchers from the University of New England, where she recently hatched a clutch of 100 eggs. And guess what? Some of her offspring share her unusual orange color, proving that this mutation is genetic.
Another Freed Orange Lobster
Even though Clementine is certainly special, she isn’t the only orange lobster saved from the cooking pots. In July this year, a Red Lobster employee named Jose Romero discovered an orange lobster in their shipment. The staff named the rare crustacean Crush, as a tribute to the Denver Bronco’s legendary Orange Crush defense.
Different Story
Although Crush was also saved, his story is slightly different. When the Red Lobster employees informed Denver’s Downtown Aquarium about Crush, they were super excited to provide him with a home. After he was placed in a 30-day quarantine to ensure that he was okay and didn’t carry any diseases, he now shares a tank with another orange lobster at the aquarium!
Lobster Lifespan
In their natural habitat, lobsters like Clementine, Crush, and Peaches can live for several decades. The average lobster lifespan is between 30 and 50 years old, but as always, there are exceptions. One American lobster named George lived for 140 years and weighed 20 pounds! By returning Clementine to the ocean, her rescuers gave her the opportunity to live out a potentially long life in her natural habitat.
Other Rare Lobster Colors
While orange lobsters like Clementine are exceedingly rare, other unusual lobster color variations occur in nature. Blue lobsters, for instance, are estimated to appear once in every two million lobsters. Even more rare are yellow lobsters, occurring at a rate of about one in 30 million, similar to orange lobsters. The rarest of all is the albino or “crystal” lobster, with an estimated occurrence of one in 100 million.
Last Thoughts
Stories like Clementine’s aren’t just nice to hear, but they also help create public awareness about marine life and its conservation. Every time grocery stores, restaurants, or individuals encounter rare creatures like these, it’s an opportunity to learn more about them and their role in their ecosystems. While this heightened awareness can contribute to more considerate practices in the seafood industry and greater support for marine conservation efforts globally.
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