Questions swirl around extremely rare double-albino-lobster catch

What are the odds of catching an albino lobster? About one in 100 million, according to The Portland Press Herald.

That has some lobster experts (yes, those exist) questioning the veracity of two Maine lobstermen's hauls this week. Just a few days and a couple hundred feet apart, two lobstermen brought in what appear to be a pair of albino lobsters. Both were under the legal size to keep, which usually means the lobsters must be thrown back. In this case, though, Maine's Marine Patrol made an exception for the rare crustaceans. One is headed for Brooks Trap Mill, a lobstering supply store with an enormous marine life tank. The other will appear at the Maine State Aquarium.

But wait: A twist!

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

"I don't think they're albinos. It looks like there's some pigmentation there," Bob Bayer, executive director of the University of Maine's Lobster Institute, said. Still, "it's nothing I've seen before."

Apparently the quickest test to determine whether the lobsters are truly albinos is to cook them — if they remain clear of pigmentation, they're legit — but officials said neither is destined for a boiling pot of water. Decide for yourself whether you can spot any pigmentation in the photo, below. --Sarah Eberspacher