By ‘1 in 30 Million’ Calico Lobster Will Swim Easy At Virginia Sanctuary
An extremely rare calico lobster was recently found in a Red Lobster by employees who saw its unique speckled shell.
The male calico lobster, named Pecas by the staff in Manassas, arrived at the Virginia restaurant as part of a regular delivery from Maine.
When team members recognized the lobster’s orange and black shell cover, they reached out to the Red Lobster support team to confirm its identity as a rare calico. After albino and split-colored lobsters, this is the third rarest type of lobster on the planet, and the chances of catching a calico are 1 in 30 million.
Calico lobsters rarely survive in the wild because their bright colors make them easily detectable by predators.
The restaurant was connected to the Virginia Living Museum Aquarium. Late last month, a couple of aquarium staff members collected the lobster and transported it safely to its new home.
The Virginia Living Museum and Red Lobster are partners in the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program, which is committed to choosing sustainable seafood for healthier oceans, now and for future generations.
After a veterinary evaluation and a 30-day quarantine to make sure he’s still healthy, Freckles will soon join the museum’s public display at the Gallery of the Chesapeake Bay.
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“We see [Freckles’ move] as an opportunity to share the anomaly of nature with guests, ”explained the Senior Director of Animal Welfare and Conservation at the Virginia Living Museum. Chris Crippen in a statement, “As well as continuing important education on sustainable seafood practices and the important conservation efforts of the US lobster fishery.”
This isn’t the first time Red Lobster staff have noticed an intriguing-looking crustacean. Last year, GNN reported the story of a member of the Ohio Red Lobster team noticing one rare blue lobster among the others.
Only one in 2 million animals has the blue coloration, which is the result of a genetic abnormality. After discovering the rare crustacean, they named it Clawde, after the restaurant chain’s mascot, and contacted the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which then approached the Akron Zoo. Upon receiving the news, the Ohio Zoo staff jumped into action to prepare a new home for him.
Two days later, they posted a fun update, after a vet examined the lobster: “It’s a girl! Clawde is now Clawdia, and the proclaimed ‘man cave’ is now a ‘shed.’
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