Rare blue lobster found off the coast of Cornwall

A rare blue lobster has been landed off the south Cornish coast.

Fisherman Chris Puckey found the hen in one of his pots near Polperro on Sunday.

Lobsters are electric blue because of a genetic abnormality that causes them to overproduce a certain protein.

An expert from Oxford University’s zoology department said the chance of catching a blue lobster was estimated to be about one in two million.

Mr Puckey and Polperro fishmonger Jacqueline Spencer decided to donate the lobster to a local aquarium so it could be protected.

Ms Spencer said: “We were worried it might get caught in another pot again or even be eaten by another lobster.”

She said she hopes the crustacean can “live its life peacefully and be protected from predators” in the aquarium.

The shell or upper section of the lobster measured over 87mm, meaning Mr Puckey was not required to return it to the sea.

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