Denver’s Downtown Aquarium is now the owner of an “extremely rare” orange lobster after the crustacean’s life was spared by a southern Colorado chain restaurant.
The orange lobster was mistakenly included in a shipment to a Red Lobster location in Pueblo, according to the public relations firm that represents the aquarium. It was given the name Crush – a nod to the vaunted Denver Broncos “Orange Crush” defense of the 1970s and 80s – and a tank that fits the name.
The orange shell is likely a result of “a combination of genetic and environmental factors” that impact just one in 30 million lobsters, according to the University of New England Marine Science Center.
"We knew he was extremely rare right from the get-go," said Kendra Kastendieck, general manager of the Pueblo Red Lobster that found the rare animal. "We started trying to find a zoo or an aquarium here in Colorado that would take him on."
For perspective, about one out of every 2 million lobsters is blue, and one in 50 million is “split-colored,” according to UNE.
The lobsters that come in regular shipments to Red Lobster stores are dark brown with only slight discoloration, Kastendieck said.
"So having one that was bright orange that none of us had ever seen was definitely a bit of a shock," she said.
Crush was formally welcomed to Denver’s Downtown Aquarium in a Wednesday afternoon ceremony – but don't expect to see it just yet. The aquarium quarantines all of its new animals for 30 days as standard procedure, said Michael Lewis, an aquarist at the Downtown Aquarium. It's to make sure new animals aren't bringing bacteria or other harmful things into its tanks.
After the 30-day quarantine, Crush, who came from the Canadian coast, will be put on exhibit with other marine life native to the Northern Atlantic, Lewis said.
"Showing, you know, a slice of ocean in Denver, Colorado is a really neat thing we get to do and displaying a cool animal like an orange lobster is something we're very excited about," he said. "We think a lot of people will be excited for it."
