Rare blue lobster saved by Red Lobster employees and sent to zoo

AKRON, Ohio - Instead of being served on a hot plate with a side of cheddar biscuits, a rare blue lobster found itself a in new home at the Akron Zoo after being discovered by a Red Lobster employee last week.

The zoo released a statement that said a Red Lobster employee at the Cuyohoga Falls location found a blue lobster in a delivery to the restaurant. Blue lobsters occur once every 2 million lobsters, according to the zoo.

The Red Lobster staff named the lobster “Clawde” after the restaurant’s mascot and, recognizing the rarity of its blue shell, contacted the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which then reached out to the Akron Zoo.

“Clawde is acclimating to his new home here at the Akron Zoo, in a special tank that has been dubbed ”Clawde’s Man Cave“ by his care team,” read a Facebook post from the zoo. “Clawde now resides in our Komodo Kingdom building, which is currently closed to guests due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Akron Zoo and Monterey Bay Aquarium’s connection comes from a conservation partnership with Seafood Watch. The program is run by the aquarium in California and strives to help consumers and businesses choose sustainably farmed and fished seafood to support a healthy ocean.

The zoo also shared a surprising update on the famous blue lobster: Clawde is actually a Clawdia.

“Clawdia underwent a vet exam on Sunday, where our team was able to determine that she was indeed female,” read the update. “The next few months are critical for Clawdia as she prepares for her annual molt, a time that is very vulnerable for lobsters of any color.”