Lobsterman stunned to find incredibly rare 'iridescent' creature

Aris Folley
Updated ·1 min read

A rare 'iridescent,' almost white lobster, caught off the Maine coast last week is attracting a lot of attention on social media.

Lobsterman Alex Todd, 48, of Chebeague Island, nabbed the strange find, according to the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association.

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The non-profit association posted a photograph of the lobster on its Facebook page, along with a short story about Todd's catch.

A week later, the post has amassed well over 2,000 shares and received more than 300 comments.

"I've never seen a white one. This one was translucent with just a hint of blue in it," Todd told ABC News.

The association wrote on Facebook that the marine crustacean had a genetic condition known as Leucism, which results in a partial loss of pigment, as some colors are still visible in its shell. A total loss of pigment would make the lobster albino, which isn't the case with Todd's catch.

SEE ALSO: Lobsterman catches rare bright blue lobster

"It was really different and really cool," Todd, a 10th generation fisherman, told the outlet.

Having carried a lobster license since the age of 6, Todd noticed the lobster was female and marked for carrying eggs, so he threw the creature back into the ocean.

"Even if it had been male, it's an oddity enough that, why cook it for a $4 lobster?" he said.