One-in-100 Million 'Ghost Lobster' Joins University Research Project
An exceptionally rare white lobster, nicknamed Casper, will aid scientists in decoding the genetics behind unusual crustacean coloration.
A startlingly white lobster, named Casper, has joined a research initiative at the University of New England (UNE) aimed at understanding the genetic basis of rare lobster coloration. Scientists estimate the chance of finding such a specimen, often referred to as a 'ghost lobster,' is one in 100 million.
Casper's unusual pale blue-dotted, white shell is due to a lack of pigment-producing proteins that typically give lobsters their mottled brown camouflage. The crustacean was donated to UNE by the Maine State Aquarium and will be studied using non-invasive methods.
Professor of marine sciences at UNE, Markus Frederich, stated that while animals like Casper capture public attention due to their rarity and beauty, they also present significant opportunities for fundamental biological research. Casper joins a collection at UNE that includes other unusually colored lobsters, such as orange, blue, yellow, purple, calico, and split-colored specimens.
The research project, which began in 2024, focuses on uncovering the molecular mechanisms responsible for these dramatic color variations. Most American lobsters are brown, blending into the ocean floor. However, rare genetic mutations can lead to overproduction or underproduction of pigments like crustacyanin (responsible for blue coloration) or carotenoids (responsible for red coloration).
Blue lobsters occur at a rate of one in two million, while orange lobsters are found at one in 30 million. Albino lobsters, like Casper, are the rarest at one in 100 million and remain white even after cooking.
UNE's program has previously studied an orange lobster named Peaches, which, when she later produced offspring, offered researchers a chance to observe how rare coloration might be inherited. Genetic samples from Peaches' juveniles were analyzed, with researchers examining over 15,000 genes to identify color-associated differences. Casper's arrival provides the team with an opportunity to study the rarest coloration recorded in their study to date.