A pair of blue lobsters are settling in to their new home at Deep Sea World, Scotland’s national aquarium, after being saved from the pot.
The lobsters both display an unusual dark-blue colouration which caught the eye of the Peterhead-based fisherman who hauled them up in his pots.
He decided the pair, the larger of which sports a pair of giant claws, were too good to be eaten and instead contacted aquarists at the North Queensferry aquarium.
“We’ve already nicknamed the big guy Charli – he weighs in at just over four kilos and has claws the size of an adult’s hand!” said Deep Sea World’s Catherine Gemmell.
“After being given a thorough examination and a clean bill of health Charli and his smaller companion have been put in to our new Scottish Seas display which is the perfect place for them to call home.
“Charli is already settling in and wowing visitors with his impressive size and colour,” she added.
Lobsters are among the planet’s oldest inhabitants with fossil remains found dating back more than 100 million years. They are also extremely long-lived with some individuals reaching ages in excess of 60 years.
All lobsters are born with a cutting and a crushing claw. There is a 50:50 chance of developing a right- or left-crusher depending upon which claw is used more frequently.
The largest documented lobster was caught in Novia Scotia in 1977 weighing 44 lbs and measuring four feet in length – it was estimated to be more than 100 years old. In the 18th century US fishermen reported giant lobsters measuring six feet in length!
