Maine Lobsterman Catches ‘Rarest Lobster in the World’ Multi-Colored Half-Male, Half-Female

A Maine lobsterman and viral social media star not only calls this catch the coolest he’s ever seen but also ‘the coolest’ and ‘rarest lobster in the world.’

Jacob Knowles, a popular TikTok personality with over 2 million followers, regularly shares his lobster catches with his audience. In a recent video posted on November 14th, he unveiled what he considers his most astounding catch to date.

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The video showcases a lobster with a striking color division — one side red and the other blue, creating a visually captivating split down the lobster's back. However, the uniqueness doesn't end there; upon flipping the lobster, Knowles reveals that it is not only split-colored but also half male and half female, with the blue side representing the male and the red side representing the female.

Knowles emphasizes the rarity of each trait individually — blue lobsters, split-colored lobsters, and half-male, half-female lobsters. Combining all these features in a single specimen makes this lobster exceptionally rare.

Importantly, Knowles assures viewers that the catch is legal, meaning he is allowed to keep it. He explains the usual practice of notching the tails of breeding female lobsters before releasing them back into the sea for population protection. However, in this case, the unique lobster's gender ambiguity raises questions about the application of such notches.

Additionally, Knowles and his crew plan to keep the lobster as a pet for the next few months, placing it in a cage with other lobsters to observe its development, particularly on the female side, to see if it will grow eggs.

This phenomenon is scientifically termed "Gynandromorphism," as explained by lobsters.org. Gynandromorphy is a condition where an organism exhibits both male and female reproductive characteristics, a genetic abnormality uncommon in bilaterally symmetrical animals like crustaceans and insects.

After inviting his audience to suggest a name for the rare lobster, the consensus was "Bowie," inspired by David Bowie's iconic 'Aladdin Sane' album cover featuring a red-and-blue lightning bolt splitting his face.

We’re looking forward to Bowie updates from Knowles!