In mid-April, a very beautiful and rare specimen of lobster, entirely blue, was caught in the Bay of Saint-Brieuc. Initially recovered by a restaurateur, the animal was eventually taken in by the Océanopolis aquarium in Brest.
Contrary to what has been read or heard in recent days, blue lobsters are not extremely rare, as explained by Sébastion Cadiou, team leader of the Brittany pavilion at Océanopolis: « All lobsters in Brittany are blue, but a blue that most often leans towards brown or even orange. What makes this specimen truly unique is the intensity, the depth of this blue, it looks like it came straight out of a painting. »
The extraordinary color of the crustacean is explained by a genetic phenomenon related to pigments. All Breton lobsters have a blue pigment called crustacyanin (unlike their American cousins who are green), as well as a red pigment, astaxanthin. The two colors mix to give a hue close to brown with more or less blue nuances depending on the individuals. However, it happens—and it’s extremely rare—that a lobster presents a genetic anomaly and only has one of the two colors on its shell, the blue.
But the reverse phenomenon can also occur: the blue lobster from Brest will have to share the spotlight with « a completely orange lobster that is already present at the aquarium, and it’s an even rarer and more particular genetic mutation! » specifies Sébastien Cadiou. The new resident has already joined its companion, and the two animals, placed in two tanks side by side, are visible to the public in the Brittany pavilion of Océanopolis.
The story could have turned out differently for the poor creature that ended up last week in a restaurant in Binic, La cabane à crabes, over 140 km from Brest. Fortunately, « The restaurateur knew someone at Océanopolis and contacted them to come pick up the creature, says Sébastien Cadiou, he had no desire to cook it because it was so beautiful. »
Margot HartyCover image: ©Océanopolis