Halloween Lobster Claws Into New England Aquarium

Courtesy New England Aquarium

A rare lobster whose black and orange coloring makes her the perfect fit for Halloween is now on display at the New England Aquarium near Boston.

The lobster, named Pinchy, was first brought to the aquarium last Halloween by Massachusetts fisherman Dana Duhaime, a lobsterman from Salem, Mass., a town with a bewitching history of its own.

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Duhaime caught the 1-pound, female lobster in one of his traps in Bakers Channel and knew right away that it's orange and black coloring, perfectly split down the middle, was a rare find.

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Pinchy, named after the pet lobster on TV's "The Simpsons," missed out on last year's Halloween exhibit at the aquarium because it was under the 30-day quarantine required for all animals before they're exhibited to the public.

This year, the aquarium is going all out to welcome Pinchy, including offering free admission for one weekend to all kids dressed in costumes, "to celebrate looking different," according to the aquarium's spokesman Tony LaCasse.

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Pinchy's coloring is truly a treat, considering that perfectly split-colored lobsters occur in only about one in every 100 million lobsters, according to LaCasse. Scientists believe that the splits are caused by a complete cellular division when the lobster egg is first fertilized.

Pinchy will be on display at the aquarium until Nov. 3.