Just when it seems like the ocean has revealed all its secrets, it delivers another jaw-dropping surprise: a lobster with two dramatically different colors.
It's a 1-in-50 million find, according to Popular Science.
The rare crustacean was pulled from waters off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and later donated to the Woods Hole Science Aquarium.
At first glance, the lobster looks almost unreal. Its body is divided cleanly down the middle — one side a deep, mottled brown, the other a vivid orange.
"Split-colorization occurs when two fertilized, unlaid eggs contact each other, causing one to absorb the other," aquarium biologist Julia Studley told Popular Science. "This creates a lobster with two sets of genetic information and the ability to store color pigments differently on either side of its shell."
Beyond its striking appearance, the lobster's size has also drawn attention.
"Lobsters with unusual coloring often don't have the camouflage to thrive for long, so the fact that this one reached over 3 pounds means it's been through a lot," Wellfleet Shellfish Co. COO Dan Brandt told Popular Science.
Discoveries of this kind highlight how much there is still to learn about marine life, even when it comes to well-known species such as lobsters.
Now safely housed at the aquarium, the lobster will eventually go on display, giving visitors a chance to see a natural anomaly up close.
"We hope visitors take away just how unique this animal is and how amazing it is to see genetics at work in a very iconic local species," Studley said. "This animal is not only fascinating to look at but also serves as a great reminder of how intricate genetic mechanisms are and how much we should thank them for the diversity we see in the world around us."
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Reddit commenters expressed their amazement.
"This is a lottery," one person wrote in Spanish. "Definitely, if I see one, I would be surprised."
Another joked, "Punk rock lobster!"
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