1 in 50 million: rare ‘split-lobster’ caught off Cape Cod

Local News

The chances of finding a split-lobster are one in 50 million, but crew members on a fishing boat beat those odds and caught one off of Cape Cod last week, a fishing company said.

The split-lobster in a white container. Wellfleet Shellfish Company

April 21, 2026 | 6:51 PM

1 minute to read

You have a higher probability of being struck by lightning than finding a split-lobster.

The chances of finding a split-lobster are one in 50 million, but crew members working for Wellfleet Shellfish Company beat those odds and caught one off of Cape Cod last week, the fishing company said in a press release.

A split-lobster, also called a chimera, is one color on one half of its body and a completely different color on the other half, according to the Seacoast Science Center.

“Split coloration can arise from genetic mosaicism, pigment irregularities during development, or, in rare cases, gynandromorphism (half male, half female),” Wellfleet Shellfish Company said.

The lobster was caught by crews on the Timothy Michael, a fishing vessel, the company said.

The animal was donated to the Woods Hole Science Aquarium, the fishing company said. The public aquarium is in Falmouth.

The aquarium is currently under construction, but the lobster will be on display for visitors to see when it reopens, the fishing company said.

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