A lobster fisherman in Scotland has caught a rare golden crustacean about half a mile off the coast of Dunbar in East Lothian.
Local lobster catcher Eddie Dougal discovered the oddly-colored lobster in one of his pots located near Barns Ness Lighthouse, and he knew that the crustacean was not meant to be eaten.
According to experts, the chances of spotting such a rare sea creature are around one in five million.
The golden lobster is now being cared for at the Deep Sea World facility in North Queensferry, Fife.
Deep Sea World representative Michael Morris explained that they have yet to determine how such odd color changes occur in different crustaceans. He said that it could be the result of some form of genetic mutation among the sea creatures or a reaction to an external stimulus.
Morris added that they are unsure whether the coloration will remain even after the lobster begins to moult, or if it will return to its natural blue color.
Officials from the aquarium said that the gilded crustacean seems to be in good condition, and it will be kept in quarantine for the next few days. It will then be released into one of the facility's native aquatic displays.
Another oddly-colored crustacean was caught by a lobsterman off the coast of Scarborough in the United States earlier this week.
This particular lobster had a rare two-toned shell, with one side of the creature having a black color and the other side having an orange one.
Researchers at the Lobster Institute believe that the odds of catching a two-toned lobsters are one in fifty million, making these types of sea creatures ten times more rare than golden crustacean.
The lobster was dropped off at the Pine Point Fisherman's Co-Op in Scarborough, but the staff of the facility was not able to identify who the catcher of the rare crustacean was.
The Lobster Institute said that the only type of crustacean rarer than both the golden and two-toned lobsters is the albino lobster. Experts say fishermen would have to have a one in 100 million chance to snag this peculiar creature.
