A lobsterman who hauled traps in Penobscot Bay on Thursday got a surprise when one of his traps came up holding a lobster with one blue claw.

Mike Billings, 39, an Eddington native who is also a well-known musician in the Bangor area, posted a photo of the confused crustacean on his Facebook page.

The lobster looks normal, except for a bright blue pincher claw. The claw appears to be small for the size of the lobster, meaning the original claw was likely destroyed and a blue claw regenerated in its place.

Billings, whose boat is called the Snap Dragon, said he also caught a calico lobster on Aug. 20, photos of which were also posted online. He said calico lobsters are more rare than blue lobsters.

Both of Billings’odd lobsters were too small to keep legally so they were put back in the water.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.