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Rare 'Cotton Candy Lobster' A 1-In-100 Million Catch Off Maine Coast

PORTLAND, Maine (CBS) -- A lobsterman made the catch of a lifetime off the coast of Maine. Bill Coppersmith trapped a one in 100-million iridescent lobster, also known as a "cotton candy" lobster.

Coppersmith has been fishing for 40 years but has never had a catch like the one he made in Casco Bay. He named it Haddie, after his grandaughter.

Haddie will not end up on a plate - right now the crustacean is hanging in a tank at the Get Maine Lobster company until a permanent home at an aquarium can be found.

cotton candy lobster normal
The rare cotton candy lobster next to a "normal" lobster (Photo credit: Get Maine Lobster)

The color change is the result of a rare genetic mutation that is not considered helpful to the lobster because they aren't able to blend in with their environment.

There have been some other stunning catches in New England waters this year. A Boston seafood company caught a similarly rare albino lobster off the Maine coast in February. And in July, a Gloucester fisherman pulled an unusual blue lobster out of the ocean.

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