A two-coloured lobster caught by Digby County (Nova Scotia) fisherman Edward Pothier. Tina Comeau photo
Lobster color derives from the presence of three different pigments: red, yellow, and blue. These colors typically mix to form a greenish-brown color. It is not uncommon to get a developmental error that inhibits the accumulation of red and yellow pigment, thus producing a blue lobster. Rarer is a two colored lobster. Because the two sides of lobster develop independently of each other an error can occur on one side an not the other. Most likely this occurs at a very early cell division stage and thus all alter cells on that half are also affected.
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Whoa. I've seen that in butterflies before, but this is freaky.
How do we know this was not a half-cooked lobster?
Which side tastes better?
Tegumai,
Clever use of Gorton's Law!
So THAT'S what created those black/white aliens from Star Trek! :)
More on our favorite two-toned friends here - http://scienceblogs.com/zooillogix/2007/06/a_tribute_to_twotoned_lobste…