Rare Split-Colored Lobster Caught Off Cape Cod, Donated to Aquarium

Lobstermen aboard the fishing vessel Timothy Michael caught a rare split-colored lobster off Cape Cod on April 16, hauling the three-pound crustacean to Wellfleet Shellfish Company in Eastham, Massachusetts, where it was donated to the Woods Hole Science Aquarium rather than sent to market.

The lobster's shell is divided cleanly from head to tail, with one side displaying the bright orange-red hue typical of cooked lobsters and the other the dark brown tones that provide natural camouflage on the ocean floor. Wellfleet Shellfish Company Chief Operating Officer Dan Brandt described the find as extraordinary. "When something that rare comes across our docks, we see it as part of our role to share it with the broader community. Woods Hole Science Aquarium was the perfect fit for this lucky lobster," he said.

Operated by NOAA Fisheries and founded in 1875, the Woods Hole Science Aquarium in Falmouth is the oldest public marine aquarium in the United States. Currently closed for renovations with a planned reopening in early 2027, its animals are housed in holding tanks at the nearby Marine Biological Laboratory. The lobster now resides there, exploring cave structures and feeding on...