Rare blue lobster named Clawde gets new home at Akron Zoo

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AKRON, Ohio (WJW) — The Akron Zoo has adopted a rare blue American lobster.

According to the zoo, the lobster was discovered by a group of employees at a Red Lobster restaurant. They recognized the blue shell was rare and then contacted the Monterey Bay Aquarium, who then reached out to the zoo.

The restaurant has a partnership with the aquarium through a conversation program called Seafood Watch which helps consumers and businesses choose seafood that is farmed sustainably and fished in ways to support a healthy ocean.

After receiving the news of the lobster’s expected arrival, Akron Zoo animal care staff quickly prepared a new home for him.

The lobster, who restaurant employees named Clawde after the chain’s mascot, is reportedly acclimating to his new home at the zoo. He resides in the Komodo Kingdom building in a special tank his care team calls “Clawde’s Man Cave.”

The Komodo Kingdom building is currently closed to guests due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Zoo staff say that blue lobsters are incredibly rare and only occur one in every 2 million. The blue coloration of the shell is the result of a genetic anomaly.