1 In 30 Million: Rare Yellow Lobster Caught Off Nantucket

Jim Sjolund, captain of the Nantucket lobster boat Julie Alice, was hauling traps about 25 miles east of the island on Friday when his sternman Adam Spencer noticed something peculiar come out of the water.

“At first, I didn’t think anything of it,” Sjolund said of the strange color inside one of the traps, believing it might be a fish. “But my sternman got excited, and I came over and said ‘holy sh**’!”

Inside the trap was an incredibly rare yellow lobster. Sjolund knew right away it was unusual. But it wasn’t until he got back to Nantucket and did some research that Sjolund realized he had essentially hit the lobster lottery. The chances of catching a yellow lobster are 1 in 30 million, according to the University of Maine’s Lobster Institute.

“I knew it was pretty rare, but I didn’t know it was that rare,” Sjolund said. “It’s pretty cool.”

The rare color variations in lobsters, such as blue (1 in 2 million), yellow (1 in 30 million), and white (1 in 100 million) are caused by genetic mutations that affect the pigmentation of their shells.

The yellow male lobster caught by the F/V Julie Alice weighed about one and three-quarter pounds and was brought to Sayle’s Seafood on Washington Street with the rest of Sjolund’s catch.

What happens now? No, it’s not for sale. The crew at Sayle’s said it is being kept in a tank in the back of the fish market until owner Charlie Sayle decides what to do with it.

Meanwhile, Sjolund is running a poll on his Instagram account to name the yellow lobster. His favorites so far are “Butter” and “Amarillo.”

While some have suggested it should go to the Maria Mitchell Aquarium, the non-profit, in fact, already has a female orange lobster (with the same 1 in 30 million odds) named Clementine.

“Clementine would probably eat this one,” Sjolund said.

Other rare lobsters caught around New England in recent years have gone to the New England Aquarium, which has a tank featuring some of the most unique ones. Could that be its final destination? Stay tuned...

UPDATE: The yellow lobster was named "Yellownardo De Pinchy" and was returned to the waters 25 miles east of Nantucket by Capt. Sjolund and the crew of the F/V Julie Alice.