Lobster colors always become a matter for people to discuss. A lot of people will only know red lobster, but this product also comes in a number of other colors. If you see lobsters with such a variety of colors, you will surely be surprised and excited. Lets find out what interesting lobster colors have through the information shared below.
Lobsters are one of the most iconic seafoods with their massive claws and rich sweet meat. Though we often think of lobsters as being bright red, this color only develops after cooking. In their natural habitat, lobsters exhibit a rainbow of shell colors ranging from common shades of green and brown to ultra-rare bright blue hues. Their unique coloration results from different pigments as well as genetic variations. Let’s explore the science behind lobster color and check out some of the rarest and most stunning lobster specimens ever found!
Typical Lobster Colors in Nature
In the wild, most lobsters sport shells with earthy, natural camouflaging colors like green, brown, orange, and red. This helps them blend in with their surroundings on the rocky sea floor, avoiding predators.
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Green lobsters get their verdant color from astaxanthin the same pigment that gives salmon meat its pink color. The green hue acts as camouflage.
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Brown is the most common lobster shell color. These darker pigments help lobsters hide amongst the rocks and seaweed where they live. Over 90% of lobsters are brown.
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Red lobsters already exhibit the bright red shell color before cooking. This natural red coloration only occurs in about 1 out of every 10,000 lobsters.
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Blue lobsters, with shells ranging from slate blue to sapphire, are also found in the wild but are much rarer. Let’s look at the science behind their unique coloring next.
What Makes Blue Lobsters Blue?
So what accounts for the unusual blue color that turns up in roughly 1 out of every 2 million lobsters? Blue lobsters get their dazzling hue through a genetic variation that causes them to produce more of a certain protein than other lobsters.
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Lobsters gain their normal color from a red pigment called astaxanthin that binds to protein chains in their shell.
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The extra proteins in blue lobsters bind so strongly with astaxanthin that they change the pigment from red to blue.
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This blue color acts as camouflage in the dark ocean depths where blue lobsters live.
Researchers found that the protein responsible is called crustacyanin. Scientists are studying this unique lobster genetics further, as it may have implications for understanding biological color change and adaptation in other marine creatures as well.
Albino Lobsters
On the opposite end of the spectrum, albino lobsters lack all pigment and appear a ghostly white. True albino lobsters are extremely rare, estimated at 1 in 100 million. Their total lack of pigment leaves them without any camouflage. Most albino lobsters do not survive long in the wild as they are easily spotted by predators.
Split Colored and Calico Lobsters
Other genetic variations can cause lobsters to develop with mismatched or multicolored shells. These include:
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Split colored lobsters that are divided straight down the middle into two very different solid colors. Scientists believe this happens when the two halves of the lobster’s shell develop from different colored embryonic cells during molting. Split lobsters have odds estimated around 1 in 50 million.
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Calico lobsters exhibit a mottled pattern of orange and black splotches. Their unique markings occur in about 1 in 30 million lobsters.
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Chimera lobsters contain both male and female sex organs, with distinctly different colors on each symmetrical half. One side is typically more reddish (female) while the other is bluish-green (male). They develop when two embryos fuse together. Chimera lobsters have odds of 1 in 50 million.
Why Do Lobsters Turn Red When Cooked?
We’re all familiar with the bright crimson color of a cooked lobster. But where does this iconic red hue come from?
- In live lobsters, the natural red pigment astaxanthin is bound to proteins that mask the red with blue or green overtones.
- When lobster meat is exposed to heat during cooking, those proteins—along with the shell’s camouflaging hue—are destroyed.
- This frees up the astaxanthin to express its true red color, resulting in lobster’s characteristic cooked color.
- Astaxanthin is also a powerful antioxidant that may have health benefits!
The only exceptions are albino lobsters which stay white when cooked, and lobsters already showing their true red shell color before cooking.
Rare Colored Lobsters on Display
Many of these ultra-rare and uniquely colored lobsters get donated to aquariums rather than ending up on dinner plates. Some public aquariums have special exhibits to showcase these lobster oddities and educate visitors.
For example, the Maine State Aquarium has a collection of blue, orange, calico, and even bright yellow lobsters on display. Seeing them in person is a fun way to witness the diversity of colors and patterns lobster shells can exhibit.
So while red may be the color we associate most with lobsters in the kitchen, they come in a whole rainbow of shades in the wild. From common green and brown to rare blues and even split color halves, lobsters continue to astound us with their myriad colors and amazing adaptations. Next time you crack open a cooked lobster, take a moment to appreciate the unique biology behind its brilliant color.
How do lobster have the blue color?
Not only lobster but human skin also has many colors. Some people are white, some are brown, and some are black. Thats due to a type of pigment that determines it called melanin. Lobsters also rely on a pigment called astaxanthin to give them their green color. Normally people will hear that astaxanthin pigment is naturally red, not blue. Of course, but astaxanthin can change colors to blue or yellow when mixed with certain proteins. There is only one special type of lobster that does not have any pigment: white lobster.
Yellow is a relatively striking color anywhere.
Why do lobsters color become bright red when cooked?
Normally people will be familiar with the of bright red lobsters. It is not surprising to see lobsters as they are red. But a more interesting question is whether their true color is red.
About this information, there are quite a few mixed opinions, some people think that wild lobsters are red. But some people think that only when cooked, will it turn red.
Its so laggy, lobsters are red only after being cooked. When cooked, most lobsters that are green, yellow, or brown will turn red, no matter what kind they are.
This strange thing happens because all the pigments in the lobster’s shell that make up those colors are hidden by the red color. Unless astaxanthin already has a red base pigment available, it will still appear red. During cooking, the pigments present in the shells of lobsters are destroyed. Therefore, it will return to the red pigment. In particular, when lobster shells are heated to a high temperature, the proteins that astaxanthin used to bind to make the different colors will be destroyed. Following this, the pigment starts to show up as it really is, which is a bright red color.
There is no color that can be kept in hiding except for the albino lobster. Its body will not fade to red no matter how many times it is cooked. So you can know the reason why lobsters turn red when cooked.
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What color does a lobster have?
The red pigment is the most stable component of the coloring in a lobster. The greens and browns which darken the shell in a live lobster are destroyed by the cooking process. When they are cooked, all the pigments are masked except for astaxanthin, the red background pigment.
What do lobsters look like when uncooked?
When uncooked, lobsters come in a variety of colors that provide an interesting look. According to the sharing of fishermen in the sea, they often catch lobsters. When caught, they often have many colors such as: blue, yellow, red, brown and spotted. Lobsters with hard shells are darker in color.
Do lobsters have colored shells?
Lobsters with hard shells are darker in color. Besides, soft shell lobstersare usually lighter in color. This is completely visible to the naked eye. Surely you rarely see colorful lobsters, so it will be somewhat surprising when talking about the color of lobsters. Why are there rainbow colored lobsters?
Why do lobsters come in different colors?
Lobsters come in many different colors because of the pigment chromatophores in their shells. When they are cooked, all the pigments are masked except for astaxanthin, the red background pigment. The red pigment is the most stable component of the coloring in a lobster.