Ultra-rare orange lobster found at Red Lobster eatery in Colorado

July 18 (UPI) -- The manager of a Red Lobster restaurant in Colorado said a rare orange lobster that arrived at the eatery will be taking a permanent crustacean vacation to the Denver Aquarium.

The orange lobster was spotted by Jose Romero, a dishwasher at the Pueblo restaurant, and the general manager decided to spare the rare-colored invertebrate from the dinner plate.

"I have been at Red Lobster for 12 years, I always unpack the live lobster shipments, and I have never seen an Orange Lobster! I noticed it right away, how different it was, and I thought, oh my goodness, I'd better get him in the tank and find my managers," Romero told KRDO-TV.

The general manager said lobsters with rare colors, such as orange and blue, are usually sifted out before the shipment arrives at individual restaurants, but this one slipped through the system.

Orange coloration is believed to occur in only one out of every 30 million lobsters. An orange lobster caught off the Maine coast in June 2023 is currently being studied by researchers at the University of New England to determine whether the cause of the peculiar pigment is genetic or a result of environmental factors.