1 in 30 million: Rare orange lobster accidentally sent to Colorado Red Lobster

DENVER ( KDVR ) – An orange lobster with a rare genetic mutation was almost a meal when it was accidentally delivered to a Red Lobster.

The Downtown Aquarium in Denver said the lobster was “accidentally delivered” to a Red Lobster in Pueblo. Luckily, the shell was much brighter than the other lobsters, earning it a home at the aquarium in Denver rather than on a plate.

“They’re very dark brown with maybe a few small spots or discoloration points, so having one that was bright orange that none of us had ever seen was definitely a bit of a shock,” said Kendra Kastendieck, the general manager of the Pueblo Red Lobster.

Kastendieck says the lobster came from the coast of Canada, according to the restaurant’s food vendor.

“We actually had several guests see him in the tank in our lobby and asked why do we have a cooked lobster in our lobster tank,” Kastendieck said.

Turns out, the orange tint to the lobster isn’t just uncommon, it’s rare — about one in 30 million, according to the aquarium.

“The lobster’s coloration is from a genetic mutation which affects and prevents encoded proteins. The lack of one or several proteins can manifest as different colors, including blue, yellow and orange,” said the aquarium.

Orange lobsters have been found before, but they are few and far between. In a more recent record, one grocery store worker in Massachusetts found an orange lobster while working at a supermarket in 2018.

The orange lobster that was originally set for the Colorado restaurant arrived safely at the aquarium on Wednesday. The little crustacean dubbed “Crush” after the famed Broncos defense will spend the rest of his time there, luckily not on a dish.

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