Rare Split-Color Lobster Donated to Woods Hole Aquarium

A rare split-color lobster, a 1-in-50-million chimera carrying two sets of genetic information, was caught off Cape Cod on April 16 by the crew of the Timothy Michael. The lobster's body is split lengthwise into orange-red and dark brown halves. Wellfleet Shellfish Company, which hauled in the crustacean, donated it to the Woods Hole Science Aquarium, operated by NOAA Fisheries. The aquarium, established in 1875 as the nation's oldest public marine aquarium, is currently closed for repairs but will reopen early next year, with the split-color lobster among the first animals on display. Aquarium biotechnician Julia Studley explained that split-colorization occurs when two fertilized, unlaid eggs fuse, creating a lobster with two sets of genetic information. The lobster, weighing over three pounds, has survived despite its lack of camouflage, which typically makes such lobsters easy targets. It is currently housed at the Marine Biological Laboratory, where it is acclimating. The aquarium staff have not yet named the lobster, as they want to observe its personality first. This discovery follows other rare lobsters in recent years, including a blue lobster, a calico lobster, and a cotton candy lobster.