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.
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_lobsters.php