Two-Toned Lobster Saved From Dinner Plate
[NBC30 2006-06-13]

TERRA NOVA NATIONAL PARK, Canada -- A two-toned Canadian lobster's unique colors saved it from a date with a dinner plate.

The lobster, which is half orange and half green, was caught last week by a Canadian fisherman off Newfoundland.

The lower right part of the lobster's body and its upper claw are orange, the color a lobster turns when it is cooked.

The fisherman who caught the lobster, Kirk Tulk, said he's been told the unusual coloring may be due to a protein deficiency in the lobster's body.

Greg Stroud, an interpretation specialist at the Marine Center in Terra Nova National Park in Newfoundland, said the strange color pattern is a genetic defect.

Stroud said the two-toned lobster will be housed at the Marine Center for the rest of the year.

He said the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans will be taking a look at the colorful crustacean.

The lobster doesn't have a name yet, so the center may hold a contest for naming rights.