an albino lobster caught in the English Channel now collected at the Cité de la Mer

An albino lobster was caught in the English Channel, France Bleu Cotentin reported on Wednesday July 17. “Never seen” in 33 years of career for Olivier Briard, head of the living area at the Cité de la Mer in Cherbourg.

The albino lobster was found last week by Cédric Chaillou, one of the employees of a fishmonger in Trouville-sur-Mer (Calvados). The employee discovered it when he opened his crate of lobsters intended for sale. The crustacean was white, different from its blue counterparts.It was lost, perhaps because of the intensity of the fishermen’s work.“, supposes Cédric Chaillou who adds: “But it jumped out at us.“.

The fishmonger has never seen such a specimen.”We didn’t know what to do with it and we especially didn’t want to sell it to customers to be eaten.“, he says. The Cité de la Mer in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin was therefore alerted. The crustacean was collected on Tuesday and then placed in a quarantine basin. “Acclimatization should last one to two weeks, to ensure that he does not develop any illness and that he has not brought in any parasites.”explains Maya from the aquarium service, surprised to see such a rare specimen.

This is in fact a very rare characteristic that affects only one individual in tens of thousands. “This genetic abnormality is caused by the absence of a protein called crustacyanin, a blue-colored protein.”explains Olivier Briard. Visitors will soon be able to see the crustacean in one of the exhibition aquariums at the Cité de la Mer.