Denver Aquarium Welcomes New Resident
The Downtown Aquarium in Denver, Colorado, has a new resident, a rare orange lobster rescued from a shipment destined for a Red Lobster restaurant in Pueblo, Colorado.
On July 12th, a long-time employee, a dishwasher and cookie baker, spotted the bright orange lobster and notified the restaurant management and the aquarium staff.
The lobster, named Crush after the legendary Denver Broncos defensive unit “Orange Crush†from 1976 to 1986, has become a star attraction.
Crush's Journey to Denver
"My team and I were all raised as Broncos fans, so as soon as we saw that orange, we knew Crush would be a perfect fit," Kendra Kastendieck, the restaurant's general manager, said.
When the Pueblo Zoo was unable to take Crush, Kastendieck contacted the Downtown Aquarium, where she says they expressed immediate interest.
Kastendieck packed Crush in a Styrofoam container with ice packs and delivered it to the aquarium on July 17th.
"As soon as they put him in the quarantine tank at the Denver Aquarium, he was very active and exploring his little area," Kastendieck said.
The aquarium staff placed a new Denver Broncos football hat on top and an older one in the tank, "so he can climb on, play around," Kastendieck added.
A New Home for Crush
Aquarium staff say Crush will be examined by a veterinarian and, after a 30-day quarantine, will be transferred to the "Lurks" exhibit, which showcases creatures that live in the cold waters of the North Atlantic.
"We're excited to be able to share this incredibly rare and special animal with the community, as well as visitors to Colorado," said Ryan Herman, curator at the Downtown Aquarium in Denver.
The Rarity of Orange Lobsters
Crush was shipped to the Pueblo restaurant from a supplier in Tennessee. Kastendieck said he was caught off the coast of Canada, but she couldn't confirm which coast.
Genetic mutations can lead to lobsters with orange, blue, and yellow colors. The Downtown Aquarium previously housed an orange lobster.
According to the aquarium, one in 30 million lobsters are orange.
Experts say that bright, eye-catching colors like orange make lobsters vulnerable to predators in the wild.
Lobsters typically camouflage themselves in dark blues or greens to evade predators. However, genetic variations sometimes result in yellow or yellow-spotted shells.
One of the rarest types of lobsters is the "Halloween" lobster, which has a half-black, half-orange shell. Only one in 100 million lobsters has this color. Many fishermen have also caught "cotton candy" or "ghost" lobsters because their shells are white or translucent.
Summary
A rare orange lobster, named Crush after the Denver Broncos’ “Orange Crush†defense, has been rescued from a Red Lobster shipment in Pueblo, Colorado, and given a new home at the Downtown Aquarium in Denver. Crush, one in 30 million lobsters to be this color, will be on display at the aquarium after a 30-day quarantine. Orange lobsters are rare and vulnerable to predators in the wild due to their bright color.