In his four decades as a lobster fisherman, Robert Wagner encountered a unique find: a lobster split in color, half blue and half orange from head to tail. Dubbed Oscar, the lobster was discovered in a trap near Blue Rocks, Nova Scotia. Impressed by the rarity, Wagner decided to share Oscar with others and sought the interest of Dalhousie University.
Nadia Stewart from Dalhousie’s Beaty Centre for Marine Biodiversity expressed gratitude for the opportunity to host Oscar, noting that lobsters with distinct colors often face quick predation in the wild. Stewart explained that Oscar’s color mutation is a one-in-50-million occurrence resulting from the merging of two different sets of genetic information.
After being cared for by Wagner and his family for a month, Oscar was relocated to Halifax with a special transport license. At his new home, Oscar adapted well and recently molted his shell, surprising the staff. The old blue-orange shell is now displayed, allowing Oscar time to recover before returning to public view with his newly colored shell.
Wagner expressed contentment with the decision to donate Oscar, wishing him a fulfilling life in his new environment.