One-in-100-million 'cotton candy' lobster discovered off American coast

Every so often, Mother Nature throws up an unexpected stunning discovery and that's what's happened with a colourful crustacean captured off the coast of New Hampshire in America, reports IFL Science.

Joseph Kramer, 25, with his father and girlfriend, took his boat out at the end of July and set down 20 traps to capture lobsters.

As first reported by Seacoastonline, in the very final trap he spotted what he thought was a blue lobster, which is a one-in-two-million find.

Kramer decided to take the lobster to the Seacoast Science Centre in Rye, New Hampshire where it was actually identified to be a 'cotton candy' lobster, which is an even rarer find with the chances of seeing one just one-in-100-million.

Speaking to Seacoastonline, Kramer said: "Now I think it is definitely the only one I will ever catch, maybe even the only one I will ever see again in my lifetime.

"I'm over the moon about catching it and letting it be seen by everyone at the Science Centre makes it even better. Knowing that it will spend its time in safety I think is the best place for it to be kept and preserved."

The lobster was thought to be blue at first but actually falls into the 'cotton candy' category / Seacoast Science Centre

Sam Rutka at the Seacoast Science Centre in Rye, New Hampshire, is reported to have confirmed the lobster is a healthy male between six and 14-years-old.

Speaking to Fox News, he said: "This lobster is a beautiful bright blue with touches of pink, lavender and purple.

"That puts it not just in the blue lobster category, which is about one-in-two-million, but in the cotton candy category, which is the blue mixed in with the pinks and the purples, and that puts it into one-in-100-million."

Different colours in lobsters are caused by genetic mutations but exactly why this happens in some cases is not fully understood.

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