Overview
- The lobster, caught off Cape Cod on April 16 by the crew of the F/V Timothy Michael, shows a sharp half-brown, half-orange split from head to tail and weighs more than three pounds.
- Wellfleet Shellfish Company chose to donate the animal to the Woods Hole Science Aquarium instead of selling it, with public display planned when the aquarium reopens, which is expected in early 2027.
- During renovation, the aquarium’s animals are in holding tanks at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, where the two-toned lobster is now being cared for.
- Scientists say the bilateral coloring reflects chimerism, which can occur when two fertilized eggs fuse and produce side-specific traits.
- Reports cite odds of 1-in-50-million for such finds, though researchers caution that these rarity numbers are only rough estimates.