Saved by the shell
Believe it or not, bright orange lobsters — a one-in-30-million rarity — are making a splash at Ripley’s Aquarium. Tracey Tong dives in
In the wild, their bright colour prevents them from camouflaging and makes them more obvious to predators, reducing their chances of reaching retirement. KEVIN MCAVOY
After travelling hundreds of kilometres from her home in the Atlantic, she arrived at a Zehrs grocery store in Uxbridge in early July — only to be destined for a dinner plate.
But when seafood department staff opened her box, they immediately knew that there was something special about the orange lobster. Packaged with several other lobsters, “she definitely stood out with her vibrant colouring,” says seafood manager Jackie McNabb. In her 17 years at the store, McNabb had never seen anything like it.
After doing some research, she discovered that this was in fact a very rare lobster — about one in 30 million. McNabb segregated her from the others, cut her claw bands and fed her.
Looking to find the lobster a permanent home, McNabb asked her daughter Jessica Prescott to facilitate. To the delight of the seafood team, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada adopted the lobster after Prescott contacted the downtown attraction in mid-August.
Ripley’s named the lucky crustacean — determined, based on her size, to be a six- or seven-year-old female Homarus americanus (common name: American lobster) — Clementine.
According to Kevin McAvoy, Ripley’s assistant director of husbandry, American lobsters are found in the Atlantic along the east coast of Canada and the U.S., from Labrador in the north to about North Carolina in the south. “They prefer cold, shallow waters with plenty of rock cover,” says McAvoy. “This helps them avoid predators and be close to mollusks, like mussels, that are their favourite food.”
Mutations in the genes that create the pigments, such as albinism, can have dramatic effects on a lobster’s appearance. “Blue lobsters, red ones, calicos, white, split colour and orange are all possible,” McAvoy says. “There is no guarantee those colours will be passed down if and when they mate.”
American lobsters can live for 100 years, according to McAvoy. “Orange lobsters are no different … in captivity,” he says. “In the wild, their bright colour prevents them from camouflaging and makes them more obvious to predators, reducing their chances of reaching retirement.”
Clementine will be in good company at Ripley’s, home to 14 lobsters — including two other orange ones, Kumquat and Pinchy, the latter of whom arrived in mid-September. “We have a fair bit of experience with unusual lobsters,” McAvoy says. “We even have one with a third claw.”
This wasn’t the first time Ripley’s has adopted a creature with help from the public. “We occasionally have people reaching out from supermarkets or fisheries,” says McAvoy. “When people see something so out of the ordinary, it makes them curious and gets them asking questions. It’s one of the best ways to get people interested in learning about ocean life. And when people know about these animals and care about them, they’re going to do their part in protecting them, whether that’s reducing their carbon footprint or eating only sustainable seafood.”
Those eager to meet Clementine will have to wait. Although the half-kilogram lobster is “in good overall health, aside from a few minor shell issues,” McAvoy says, there is a minimum 90-day mandatory quarantine period for all new animals to protect the health of others.
Once the quarantine is over this month, McAvoy will look toward moving Clementine to an exhibit. “Displaying animals can be complicated,” he says, “and we have to balance the needs of the animals and the available space. Lobsters are not very social and need their own space.” It’s also possible Clementine may be transferred to a Ripley’s in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, or Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Had Clementine sold at Zehrs, she would have fetched about $20, says McNabb, who is thrilled that the lobster will live a full and happy life and that thousands will get to see her. “Knowing that (she) gets a chance to teach and be admired,” she says, “is priceless to the (Zehrs) staff.”