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Fisherman Catches 2-Tone, Gender-Bending Lobster

Posted by Hemos on from the wonderful-evolution dept.

sbowles writes "A lobster fisherman out of Halifax Nova Scotia has caught a 2-coloured hermaphrodite lobster. The ocean oddity is a first for Murray Townsend and his crew. 'I've seen lobsters of different colours, shades and with different markings, but nothing quite like this.' The animal has been donated to the Bedford Institute of Oceanography."

50 comments

  1. tsunami by jannesha · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm sure that this washed up because of the recent tsunamies!

    (karma be damned...)

    1. Re:tsunami by jannesha · · Score: 1

      I was (jokingly) refering to story from Saturday

    2. Re:tsunami by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't worry. Some of us got the reference.

    3. Re:tsunami by Alpha27 · · Score: 0, Redundant

      You can never be too sure, even on slashdot.

  2. Is it me or is this lobster posing? by Alpha27 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well if it is a hermaphrodite, then it has the traits of a gay man from soho. "Honey I'm here to conquer the world" *two snaps*

  3. Two Tons! by Phillup · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'll be the first to admit that I scan this site.

    But, the first time I read the title... I swear... I thought it said two tons.

    That would be a hell of a meal!

    --

    --Phillip

    Can you say BIRTH TAX
    1. Re:Two Tons! by p4ul13 · · Score: 0
      I did the same thing. Except that in my case I actually saw the spelling, but thought it was a typo for "tonne".

      Interesting story, but our version would have been cooler!

      --
      Paul Lenhart writes words!
    2. Re:Two Tons! by ArsonSmith · · Score: 1

      I did the same thing. I remeber hearing a while back that lobster don't actually age and continue to grow throughout their lifespan. Now they are mostly over fished but I har heard that lobster use to get up to 75lbs and well over 100 years old. The main limiting factor to lobsters life span was as they got bigger it was easer for preditors to get them as they couldn't hide as well.

      Don't know if any of it was true but it was interesting enough to rember but not interesting enough for me to validate.

      --
      Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
    3. Re:Two Tons! by contagious_d · · Score: 1
      Your comment intrigued me.
      --
      - /home is where the food is.
    4. Re: Two Tons! by Black+Parrot · · Score: 1


      > the first time I read the title... I swear... I thought it said two tons. That would be a hell of a meal!

      Conversely, you would only be a small snack.

      --
      Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    5. Re:Two Tons! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      I'll be the first to admit that I scan this site.

      Actually, I think you meant you skim this site. To scan something traditionally means to examine/read it in depth. I admit that it is misused as frequently as the word irony is, but as a grammar Nazi I felt obliged to speak up.

      :)

    6. Re:Two Tons! by zonker · · Score: 0

      i would imagine at some point their mass would be too great for their exoskeleton to hold them too though. this is the reason why we don't see 10 foot tall spiders and ants like in 50's monster movies, because they would crush themselves under their own weight.

      i would imagine with the weight differential due to being in water they would get away with being massive to some extent but there will be a physical limit to their size due to the makeup of their shell.

      btw, i too thought it said ton, not tone and did a doubletake...

      --

      Large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

    7. Re:Two Tons! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      actually size limits in terrestrial arthropods have a lot more to do with how their respiration works

    8. Re:Two Tons! by ArsonSmith · · Score: 1

      "How old can a Lobster live to be? Based on the descriptions of large Lobsters seen by fishermen during Colonial times, Lobsters of that period sometimes lived to be (approximately) 150 years old. Not surprisingly, when the Lobster industry began during the 1800's, the life expectancy of Lobsters decreased. The scientific community also waited until the 1800's before they took an interest in Lobsters. Therefore, the oldest Lobster on record lived to be 100 years old, and weighed about 43 pounds."

      I found this here:
      seasabres

      --
      Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
  4. i for one .. by torpor · · Score: 1, Funny

    .. welcome our new lobster overlords, and would like to remind them that as a conscientious shellfish-alergist, i have never consumed a member of their species willingly! hail tepis!

    --
    ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
    1. Re:i for one .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I, for one, fail to see what is "funny" about his post. Sorry, maybe it's just me.

  5. The Tim Curry of Lobsters?! by pomegranatesix · · Score: 1

    Wow, but I thought all lobsters were red though. It's a mutant!

    I'm imagining it starring in the next Rocky Horror Picture Show, with other sea creatures.

    1. Re:The Tim Curry of Lobsters?! by Fr05t · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually Lobsters are rarely red until you cook them. Greenish Brown and sometimes all blue are more common in the Maritimes (Atlantic Canada).

    2. Re:The Tim Curry of Lobsters?! by pomegranatesix · · Score: 1

      I know :P But have you ever seen a non-red lobster in a Disney movie? This lobster is very in touch with his feminine side. I wonder how it gets it on with the other lobster in the ocean?

    3. Re:The Tim Curry of Lobsters?! by cei · · Score: 1

      Nah, it probably just has an aluminum foil wrapped sea cucumber in its pants.

      --
      This sig intentionally left justified.
    4. Re:The Tim Curry of Lobsters?! by gothzilla · · Score: 1

      So does that mean Disney only uses cooked lobsters in it's movies?

    5. Re:The Tim Curry of Lobsters?! by madaxe42 · · Score: 1

      Probably. At least they don't use cooked horses/people. That would just be grim. It'd be an entire new genre of children's gore flick...

  6. Wow by Profane+MuthaFucka · · Score: 1

    I am so jealous of that lobster. If it were me, I don't think that I'd ever leave the house.

    --
    Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
  7. Michael Jackson of the sea by L.+VeGas · · Score: 5, Funny

    What's two colors, two sexes, and shouldn't have little children play with it?

    --
    Best Windows Freeware
  8. halifax people are haligonians. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    yeah that's what they call themselves. I'm a haligonian too. I love halifax! The Split crow rocks! :)

    1. Re:halifax people are haligonians. by Fr05t · · Score: 1

      I'm a Monctonian but Halifax is my favourite Maritime city to get drunk and fall down in.

  9. News for nerds...... by geekboxjockey · · Score: 2, Funny

    Stuff that matters? sorry, I was just rather surprised to see this on slashdot... maybe someone will get linux running on it....?

    1. Re:News for nerds...... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why should you be surprised? Look 3 posts up from yours

    2. Re:News for nerds...... by VoidWraith · · Score: 0

      Not all nerds are computer nerds.

    3. Re:News for nerds...... by black+mariah · · Score: 0

      You're pathetic. Kill yourself.

      --
      'Standards' in computing only impress those who are impressed by things like 'standards'.
    4. Re: News for nerds...... by Black+Parrot · · Score: 3, Funny


      > maybe someone will get linux running on it

      As a dual boot system, no doubt.

      --
      Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  10. Crustaceans? by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 1

    Slow News Day?

  11. How... by jangobongo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    How is it genetically possible to have a creature that is blue/female on one side and grayish-green/male on the other side? That seems impossible to me. Have there been any other examples in the animal world showing such a split?

    I was expecting someone here to say, "That wee beastie got a little to close too the nuclear power plant" or some such.

    --

    Sig cancelled due to lack of interest
    1. Re:How... by vondo · · Score: 1
      It's possible, even in humans, to have fraternal twins that don't separate and grow into one person. They can live semi-ordinary lives. Sorry I don't have a reference, I was reading this a few months ago and was really surprised.

      Anyway, it may be that on a genetic level, this is actually two organisms.

    2. Re:How... by Bioinfo · · Score: 0

      There are recorded examples of 'split personality' chickens, with the one side being male and the other side being female.

      It appears to arise from a fertilisation event involving the polar body that results in a chimaera
      ...whatever, it's possible, yes



    3. Re: How... by Black+Parrot · · Score: 2, Interesting


      > Sorry I don't have a reference, I was reading this a few months ago and was really surprised.

      chimera

      --
      Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    4. Re: How... by vondo · · Score: 1

      Yes, thank you. The New Scientist article they reference (google for it) is very interesting.

  12. When interviewed... by Lars+T. · · Score: 3, Funny

    the lobster said his name was Lokai, and his race os blue-and-brown lobsters were at war with this race of brown-and-blue lobsters...

    --

    Lars T.

    To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck

  13. Two tone and spray paint by Lead+Butthead · · Score: 1

    I could've swore that guy bought some blue spray paint from me shortly before his once in a life time find... (not.)

    --
    ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
  14. behold! by thhamm · · Score: 1

    the gender bender!

  15. Gender bending what???? by Pig+Hogger · · Score: 1
    When you read
    Gender-Bending Lobster
    Who else thought about this guy???
    1. Re:Gender bending what???? by fbjon · · Score: 1

      Actually, I thought it was the fisherman's gender that got bent, after quick retribution by the lobster's claws.

      --
      True confidence comes not from realising you are as good as your peers, but that your peers are as bad as you are.
  16. CBC stream by illusion_2K · · Score: 2, Informative

    The CBC has a stream of their TV coverage (in real, but what can you do?) availible here

  17. zerg by Lord+Omlette · · Score: 1

    Just went through the article, and they failed to mention how tasty it was...

    --
    [o]_O
  18. It's out of character for me but... by cyberzephyr · · Score: 2, Funny

    I wonder if anyone told the lobster to go fuck it's self. Please forgive this.

    --
    I'm here for the experience, not the Hyperbole.
  19. A mutant! by macdaddy357 · · Score: 1

    Like blinky the 3-eyed fish from The Simpsons, except it's real. A mutant! There must be nookyooler shit in that water!

    --
    How ya like dat?
  20. Less exciting than I expected... by im_thatoneguy · · Score: 1

    I read... Fisherman catches two Tonne lobster. Now that would be one bigass lobster. No it wasn't a sea monster... it just happened to be to colors ;(

  21. Give Darwin a helping hand by Blowfishie · · Score: 1
    Just a thought...

    Once in a while, a very long while, a genetic mutation comes along and makes the first step towards a new species.
    This hermaphrodite lobster may have been able to mate with itself and make lots more 2-tone lobsters. From the photo in the article, it looks like it was caught alive. It would be interesting to see what would happen if it is given the chance to breed with itself.

    It would also be interesting to see if the blue half tastes different to the other half!