Rare blue lobster caught off Northumberland coast

Fishmonger and owner of Collingwood Seafood, in North Shields, Tony McLean, 38, showed off a rare blue lobster caught off the coast of Northumberland.

The cerulean crustacean is said to be as rare as one in two million.

Mr McLean, 38, told the Chronicle Live: "We could not believe it. It was an instant jaw-dropping moment.

"We've all found it fantastic. I've taken him around the Fish Quay, and everyone has been taking pictures with him!

"I was so amazed and had to share him. There's been a bit of a buzz about him, and this is from people who have been on the Fish Quay for years. He is now sitting pride of place in my lobster tank!"

The lobster's unusually distinctive skeleton is down to a "genetic defect" pigment molecule called astaxanthin which is attached to a protein called crustacyanin. Blue lobsters have a defect that causes them to produce an excess of the crustacyanin protein.

The fishmonger is now considering whether to donate the blue beauty to a local aquarium. To suggest a name for bright blue lobster, pay a visit to Collingwood Seafood's Facebook and Instagram pages.

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