Notorious Newquay Lobster Gets Into The Halloween Spirit

And you thought that only humans got excited about Halloween! Straight from the “they couldn't make it up department”, a one clawed lobster who is a recent addition to the residents of the Blue Reef Aquarium at Newquay, has startled everyone by changing overnight to a rather fetching pale blue colour.

He has only been at the Aquarium for about eight months, having been donated by local fishermen, and appears to have molted to show his new colours in time for the end of the month frolics. Jenni Smith, spokesman for the Aquarium, seemed to be suggesting that the dramatic change was purely co-incidental.

"It's certainly not an albino lobster and, although it was a paler than normal, it wasn't until it molted that we really saw it in its true colours. "Although it probably wouldn't do it many favours out in the wild, the lobster's shell really makes it stand out in its new display and it's safe from the unwanted attentions of any would-be predators."

She added: "It's particularly timely to have such a ghostly new addition to the aquarium in the run-up to Halloween and it will join our other spooky residents including our shoal of ghost cardinals and giant batfish in the main ocean display."

Apparently, lobsters are some of the oldest inhabitants of the planet, and excellent specimens can live for about fifty years. This molting, or shedding of the hard outer covering can happen up to four or five times a year until they are fully grown.

http://www.bluereefaquarium.co.uk/newquay.htm