In his four decades as a lobster fisherman, Robert Wagner encountered a unique crustacean: a lobster divided in half, with one side blue and the other orange. Wagner, amazed by the sight, named the lobster Oscar and reached out to Dalhousie University to offer him a new home.
Nadia Stewart from Dalhousie’s Beaty Centre for Marine Biodiversity expressed gratitude for the opportunity to care for Oscar, noting that lobsters with distinctive colors like his often face threats in the wild due to their visibility. Stewart explained that Oscar’s coloration resulted from a rare genetic mutation occurring in about one out of every 50 million lobsters.
After a month of care from Wagner and his family, Oscar was transported to Dalhousie University in Halifax under a special license. Since his arrival, Oscar has molted and surprised staff by shedding his blue-orange shell. The old shell is now on display, and Oscar is taking a break to allow his new shell to harden, which will also display the unique blue and orange colors.
Wagner expressed contentment with the decision to donate Oscar, wishing the lobster a good life in his new surroundings.