Rare Orange Lobsters, 1 In 10 Million Crustaceans, Turn Up In Massachusetts

Ever seen an orange lobster? Neither has Fresh Catch owner Bill Sarro. That is, not until a shipment of Maine lobsters arrived at his Massachusetts restaurant with five rare orange lobsters inside.

One of my retail managers, Joe, was going through the lobsters and he pulled them out and thought it was Christmastime, Bill Sarro, owner of Fresh Catch in Mansfield, told CBS Boston. Never seen anything like it. I've seen many blue lobsters, but I've never seen an orange lobster.

Marine experts say orange lobsters are so rare, the chances of spotting one are one in 10 million. The most common color of lobster is a brownish hue.

Genetics determine the colors of lobsters, with calico (one in 30 million) and blue (one in 5 million), along with orange, being among the rarest.

As rare as orange lobsters are, they did turn up last year off Cape Cod and New Brunswick, Canada, according to ABC News.

Sarro has gotten calls from the New England Aquarium in Boston about the rare orange lobsters, but his plans for now are to showcase them in five Fresh Catch restaurants he owns throughout the state. The aquarium hopes to bring one of the rare orange lobsters to a marine biologist for research purposes.

The rare orange lobsters were big news in Mansfield, about 33 miles south of Boston.

They were filming a movie with Kate Winslet a mile away, but more people came here, Sarro told ABC News. It's great for business.

A rare orange lobster was also discovered in a shipment of the Fresh Catch in Attleboro, Mass., WPRI reported.