Stories1 min(s) read
Published 19:23 31 Jul 2020 GMT
Lobster is easily one of the most popular seafoods around and often when people decide to treat themselves to a lobster, they will quite literally pick it fresh from a tank.
But one lobster got a lucky escape from the chef's pot after staff at a Red Lobster branch in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, realized that it had a particularly unusual color while unloading a delivery.
Thankfully, the staff realized that there was something very unusual about the lobster and contacted conservationists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
After this, the lobster was taken to a statewide conservation partnership, called Seafood Watch, which is a part of Akron Zoo.
The lobster was named Clawde by staff at the restaurant and has been described as "very, very rare" by the zoo.
In a post on social media, the zoo said: "Your Akron Zoo has adopted a rare blue American lobster from a Red Lobster after restaurant employees recognised the rarity of the blue shell.
"The connection between the Akron Zoo and Red Lobster came from a conservation partnership called Seafood Watch. The program, run by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, strives to help consumers and businesses choose seafood that is farmed sustainably and fished in ways to support a healthy ocean. Both the Akron Zoo and Red Lobster are conservation partners with Seafood Watch.
"After Red Lobster employees discovered the blue lobster, named Clawde by the restaurant chain after their mascot, they contacted the Monterey Bay Aquarium, who then reached out to us. Our animal care staff was able to quickly spring into action and prepare a new home for him.
"Blue lobsters are very rare, occurring one in every two million. The blue coloration of the shell is the result of a genetic anomaly."
The post continued to say that the lobster is now getting used to its new life.
It added: "Clawde is acclimating to his new home here at the Akron Zoo, in a special tank that has been dubbed 'Clawde's Man Cave' by his care team.
"Clawde now resides in the our Komodo Kingdom building, which is currently closed to guests due to the COVID-19 pandemic."
