Rare Split-color Lobster Caught Off Cape Cod

A Cape Cod Fishing company celebrated a "once-in-50 million catch" last week.

According to a Facebook post from the Wellfleet Shellfish Company on April 16, this split-color lobster was hauled in off Cape Cod by Timothy Michael, but the company wasn't sending this rare beauty to the market.

Split-tone Lobster Caught in CC/ Wellfleet Shellfish COmpany Facebook

Instead, she’s heading somewhere even more special- the Woods Hole Science Aquarium, where she’ll eventually be on display for the public to experience up close.

Split-tone Lobster Caught in CC/ Wellfleet Shellfish COmpany Facebook

For now, the duo-tones crustacean is being cared for by the team at the Marine Biological Laboratory of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, while the aquarium undergoes renovations.

"Split lobsters like this are extraordinarily rare—caused by unique genetic variations that create their striking half-and-half coloring," the post explains. "Moments like this are why we do what we do: supporting our fishing community, protecting the ocean, and sharing its wonders with everyone."

Split-tone Lobster Caught in CC/ Wellfleet Shellfish COmpany Facebook

How Common Are Odd-Colored Lobster?

The typical American lobster usually sports a mottled pattern of greenish brown for an effective camouflage in its seaweed-filled, rocky habitat. But on rare occasions, some of these shelled aquatic creatures "exhibit vibrant variations in shell color due to genetic mutations." According to the Seacoast Science Center, the color deviations are not just striking, but also scientifically intriguing, captivating both biologists and community members with their unusual appearances.

JJ the Brown Bear Cub joins the Wild Safari in Jackson, NJ

Six Flags Great Adventure’s Wild Safari is celebrating its newest arrival, a brown bear cub named JJ, born a little more than two months ago to mother Hollywood.

Now visible to guests, JJ and Hollywood are spending time together in their own dedicated habitat space among the park’s brown bears.

Gallery Credit: Dorney Public Relations