Mutant lobsters in Casco Bay

When I’m out on the lobster boat I always try to find a little spare time to take a few pictures of the scenery. I really enjoy sharing them on Facebook with friends, plus it helps pass the time on long steams. People love a nice shot of an orange sunrise over the islands in Casco Bay, of waves crashing on the rocks in front of Portland Head Light, or of seagulls fighting over rotten bait.

But the time tested crowd favorite is a picture of a mutant lobster.

They’re actually a lot more common than one might think, sometimes they come up with multiple claws, sometimes they’re different colors, and sometimes they’re so riddled with shell disease that they’re almost unrecognizable.

Here’s some of the more unusual mutants that have come up in my Captain’s traps over the past year. Hope you like ’em folks!

Maine lobster with deformed claw.

Maine lobster with deformed claw

Partially blue Maine lobster. 
Partially blue Maine lobster

Maine lobster with camouflage style shell. 
Maine lobster with camouflage style shell

Maine lobster with an extra working claw. 
Maine lobster with an extra working claw

Maine lobster with severe shell disease. 
Maine lobster with severe shell disease

Maine lobster with blue and white coloring. 
Maine lobster with blue and white coloring

Maine lobster with half a brown shell. 
Maine lobster with half a brown shell

Maine lobster with mini working claw grown out of normal claw.
Maine lobster with mini working claw grown out of normal claw

Chris Shorr

About Chris Shorr

Chris is a sixth generation Portlander who loves all things Maine. He has worked with mentally ill and marginalized adults at a Portland non-profit, on a lobster boat in Casco Bay, at several high-end Portland restaurants, and at a local meat packing plant. He also ran for Portland City Council in 2013, wrote a weekly column in the now defunct Portland Daily Sun, and currently writes a weekly column in The Portland Phoenix.