Halloween Lobster
October 31, 2012 9:14 PM Subscribe
The New England Aquarium welcomes an unusual new guest, just in time for Halloween. Last week in Massachusetts, lobster fisher Dana Duhaine caught the lobster, which is perfectly "split" down the middle in two colours: black and orange. Scientists attribute this type of colouring to a complete cellular split that happens upon fertilization of the lobster egg. Split lobsters are relatively rare; they are estimated to make up only one per every 50 to 100 million lobsters. Recently, American and Canadian lobster fishers have been reporting more of the unusually coloured creatures in their catches, including blue lobsters, calico lobsters, and splits. National Geographic article about different colouration in lobsters.
NBD, it's just celebrating the Giants World Series win.
posted by mollymayhem at 9:23 PM on October 31, 2012 [6 favorites]
posted by mollymayhem at 9:23 PM on October 31, 2012 [6 favorites]
That's some music they've got in that video! Reminds you of the solemn march of countless aeons as the poor creature vainly wriggles on a polystyrene supermarket tray. And so we all one day will wriggle, our bicolored claws upraised in a timeless display of territorial dominance and gradual suffocation.
posted by Nomyte at 9:31 PM on October 31, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by Nomyte at 9:31 PM on October 31, 2012 [4 favorites]
Excellent news! One of the items on my bucket list is to enjoy an unusually colored lobster for dinner.
posted by halogen at 12:15 AM on November 1, 2012
posted by halogen at 12:15 AM on November 1, 2012
surely you jest.
posted by eddydamascene at 12:19 AM on November 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by eddydamascene at 12:19 AM on November 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
That lobster and my cat should be best pals! She's also split down the middle (face/paws) black and orange. Wonder if it's at all a related phenomenon.
posted by ilana at 12:30 AM on November 1, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by ilana at 12:30 AM on November 1, 2012 [4 favorites]
I will name him Pinchy and he shall be mine.
or Harvey.
posted by littlesq at 1:27 AM on November 1, 2012
or Harvey.
posted by littlesq at 1:27 AM on November 1, 2012
Do you think the lobster knows that it is different colors on each side? If so, I could see that being beneficial for both hiding and mating. If not, its life is a series of happy accidents (well, for as long as it all works out).
posted by iamkimiam at 1:35 AM on November 1, 2012
posted by iamkimiam at 1:35 AM on November 1, 2012
Did you know lobsters communicate by peeing in each other's faces?
TMI!
posted by chavenet at 3:30 AM on November 1, 2012
TMI!
posted by chavenet at 3:30 AM on November 1, 2012
Do you think the lobster knows that it is different colors on each side? If so, I could see that being beneficial for both hiding and mating. If not, its life is a series of happy accidents (well, for as long as it all works out).
It seems that the main evolutionary benefit of odd coloration in lobsters is that you aren't eaten by man.
Or as one of the links puts it, Rare Calico Lobster Turns Heads, And Escapes Dinner Menu
posted by chavenet at 3:32 AM on November 1, 2012
It seems that the main evolutionary benefit of odd coloration in lobsters is that you aren't eaten by man.
Or as one of the links puts it, Rare Calico Lobster Turns Heads, And Escapes Dinner Menu
posted by chavenet at 3:32 AM on November 1, 2012
It seems that the main evolutionary benefit of odd coloration in lobsters is that you aren't eaten by man.
They thought that "being enormous underwater bugs with claws and eyestalks" would do it, but no.
posted by DU at 4:17 AM on November 1, 2012 [5 favorites]
They thought that "being enormous underwater bugs with claws and eyestalks" would do it, but no.
posted by DU at 4:17 AM on November 1, 2012 [5 favorites]
I think that just makes them all the more appealing.
posted by iamkimiam at 4:28 AM on November 1, 2012
posted by iamkimiam at 4:28 AM on November 1, 2012
ilana, looks like your cat might be a chimera!
posted by phl at 4:46 AM on November 1, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by phl at 4:46 AM on November 1, 2012 [4 favorites]
It is actually the sole survivor of internecine warfare between its people and lobsters with an opposite black-orange colorscheme.
posted by Renoroc at 4:55 AM on November 1, 2012 [5 favorites]
posted by Renoroc at 4:55 AM on November 1, 2012 [5 favorites]
It seems that the main evolutionary benefit of odd coloration in lobsters is that you aren't eaten by man.
Then a woman eats you! There is always a catch in the prophecies! Jerks.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:27 AM on November 1, 2012 [2 favorites]
Then a woman eats you! There is always a catch in the prophecies! Jerks.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:27 AM on November 1, 2012 [2 favorites]
I will name him Pinchy and he shall be mine.
I read somewhere else that the fisherman who caught this lobster and donated it to the aquarium did name it Pinchy which I thought was kind of cool. You know who else would have thought it was cool? Pinchy.
Anyway...in case anyone is interested here are some pictures of an early morning last spring, when fundip's sister and her husband took me lobster fishing.
posted by Flashman at 8:35 AM on November 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
I read somewhere else that the fisherman who caught this lobster and donated it to the aquarium did name it Pinchy which I thought was kind of cool. You know who else would have thought it was cool? Pinchy.
Anyway...in case anyone is interested here are some pictures of an early morning last spring, when fundip's sister and her husband took me lobster fishing.
posted by Flashman at 8:35 AM on November 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
Anyway...in case anyone is interested here are some pictures of an early morning last spring, when fundip's sister and her husband took me lobster fishing.
Wow, the Dawn Treader seemed so much bigger in the book.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 9:43 AM on November 1, 2012
Wow, the Dawn Treader seemed so much bigger in the book.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 9:43 AM on November 1, 2012
phl, I think she might be! I didn't realize there was a name for that; thanks.
posted by ilana at 10:16 AM on November 1, 2012
posted by ilana at 10:16 AM on November 1, 2012
Those are great pictures, Flashman!
(This one isn't a lobster, but it is my favourite of the set.)
Ha ha Bulgaroktonos, that was my first thought too.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 10:23 AM on November 1, 2012
(This one isn't a lobster, but it is my favourite of the set.)
Ha ha Bulgaroktonos, that was my first thought too.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 10:23 AM on November 1, 2012
ilana, it's not just a name for the colouring - a genetic chimera is an organism "composed of two or more different populations of genetically distinct cells that originated from different zygotes". In other words parts of your cat are the rest of your cat's non-identical twin sibling.
Could be wrong, but she certainly looks a lot like Venus, the internet's favourite two-faced chimera cat.
posted by phl at 10:36 AM on November 1, 2012
Could be wrong, but she certainly looks a lot like Venus, the internet's favourite two-faced chimera cat.
posted by phl at 10:36 AM on November 1, 2012
The best consequence of chimerism occurs when the chimeric DNA ends up being the DNA that creates your zygotes. Then you give birth to your siblings' children, or inseminate others with your siblings' DNA!
posted by ChuraChura at 12:17 PM on November 1, 2012
posted by ChuraChura at 12:17 PM on November 1, 2012
Those are great pictures
Thanks very much. I was lucky to get to go out with them, and lucky too that it was such a calm, clear morning.
posted by Flashman at 2:13 PM on November 1, 2012
Thanks very much. I was lucky to get to go out with them, and lucky too that it was such a calm, clear morning.
posted by Flashman at 2:13 PM on November 1, 2012
chavenet: ">Did you know lobsters communicate by peeing in each other's faces?
TMI!"
You don't want to know about goats (or porcupines, apparently).
posted by Lexica at 9:58 PM on November 1, 2012
TMI!"
You don't want to know about goats (or porcupines, apparently).
posted by Lexica at 9:58 PM on November 1, 2012
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posted by arcticseal at 9:23 PM on October 31, 2012