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Rare Lobster Hatchlings Will Inform Novel DNA Research at UNE
A Large Litter of Multicolored Lobsters Will Aid UNE Researchers in Uncovering the Genetics Behind Rare Shell Coloration
The University of New England is the home of two families of tiny, baby lobsters — dozens of them, each no larger than a thumbtack — which are currently being raised and studied by students and faculty as part of an ongoing, novel research project into the genetic basis for their rare coloration.
Miniature crustaceans in various shades of brown, blue, and orange have taken up residence in the University’s Arthur P. Girard Marine Science Center. There are currently 140 of these small lobsters, which hatched earlier this summer and have been molting and growing ever since.
They are the offspring of two adult female lobsters who also call UNE home: Peaches, a rare, 1-in-30-million orange lobster who captured hearts everywhere when she arrived at UNE last year, and Norma, a typical brown or “mottled” lobster, who arrived at UNE in June.
Clockwise, from left: Over a dozen of Peaches’ offspring share her rare orange coloration; several molted larvae are shown through a dissecting microscope; dozens of the larvae show normal and even rare blue coloration; an early stage larva as seen through a dissecting microscope; and Norma, a recently acquired, normal-colored lobster. Photos courtesy of Markus Frederich.
But what can these tiny crustaceans tell us about why some lobsters are orange, or blue, or even purple or split down the middle? UNE student Ruby Motulsky is trying to find out.
Motulsky (Marine Sciences, ’25), who uses them/them pronouns, is an undergraduate researcher in the Invertebrate Physiology Lab of Markus Frederich, Ph.D., professor of marine sciences at UNE.
In April, Motulsky was awarded $5,000 from the Bioscience Association of Maine to fund their summer research examining the number of lobsters that share their mothers’ coloration. The work is part of a novel effort launched by Frederich this winter to decode the molecular basis for rare shell coloration through noninvasive methods.
Ruby Motulsky holds an egg-bearing Peaches with Prof. Markus Frederich, Ph.D.
With its reputation for excellence in the marine sciences, UNE has become a magnet for rare lobsters in recent years, housing an impressive lineup including blue, orange, yellow, split-colored, purple, and calico varieties — each with rarity ranging from 1-in-1 million to 1-in-50 million.
The baby lobsters currently being raised at UNE — 100 from Peaches and 40 from Norma — will soon have even more siblings. Pineapple, another rare orange lobster housed at UNE, is currently bearing eggs that are expected to hatch next spring.
Read press coverage in IFL Science (Aug. 2, 2024), WGME CBS 13, Fox 23 Maine, WMTW News 8, WMUR 9 ABC, IFL Science (Aug. 5, 2024), the Bangor Daily News, Saco Bay News, Our Community Now, Live Now Fox, and Parade Pets.