American Oceans

5 Rarest Lobsters in the World

a purple spiny lobster

Lobster fishing has deep historical and cultural ties in regions such as Maine and New Brunswick, where fishermen and lobstermen dedicate their lives to catching these valuable sea creatures.

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Among the more common lobster species, there are some exceptionally rare lobsters that have garnered attention among seafood enthusiasts, scientists, and the general public.

5. Blue Lobsters

fisherman holding a rare blue lobster

A genetic mutation affecting the pigment called astaxanthin causes the lobster to appear blue. Blue lobsters are incredibly rare, occurring at an estimated rate of 1 in 2 million.

4. Calico Lobsters

a rare calico lobster
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They exhibit an unusual black and orange mottled shell, which occurs very rarely with the odds being 1 in 30 million.

3. Yellow, Cotton Candy, and Orange Lobsters

a cotton candy lobster
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These remarkable color variations get their appearance from a variety of pigment combinations, each carrying individual rarity levels with yellow lobsters being 1 in 30 million.

2. Split-Colored Lobsters

a person holding a split colored lobster
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These lobsters have a shell with two distinct colors, usually orange and brown, divided right down the middle. Extremely rare, with a 1 in 50 million chance of being found.

1. Albino Lobsters

person holding an albino lobster
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Being the rarest, these lobsters lack all pigment, resulting in a completely white appearance. The chances of catching an albino lobster are about 1 in 100 million.

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