The Bowie may be the rarest lobster in the North Atlantic, and perhaps on Earth. The left side of this special creature, which is split in half right in the middle, is a vibrant blue color and the right side is a typical orange color. Additionally, this creature is an example of a bilateral gynandromorph. So half female and half male.
This rare lobster was recently caught by a friend of Jacob Knowles, a fifth-generation lobster fisherman in Maine who has successful TikTok and Instagram channels showcasing the surprisingly fascinating world of lobster catching.
Blue lobsters are estimated to occur one in 2 million, while bicolor lobsters occur one in 50 million. This means it’s incredibly rare, considering that Bowie was also a bilateral gynandromorph.
“This is the coolest lobster I’ve ever seen,” Jacob said in a video. Not only is his back blue and the normal 50/50 split, but when you look underneath he’s actually half male and half female. “The blue side is male, the normal side is female,” he said. “This lobster, realistically, has to be the rarest lobster in the Gulf of Maine,” he added in another video.
A post shared by Jacob Knowles (@jknowles831)
Jacob asked his followers what they should call the incredibly flashy lobster, and they decided on the name “Bowie,” inspired by famous artist David Bowie. Other suggestions included Two-Face, Icy Hot, Lobstery McLobsterface and Leonardo Da Pinchy.
What is bilateral gynandromorphism?
Bilateral gynandromorphism is when the two halves of the body show different sexual characteristics. Although this is a rare condition, it has been documented in many different species, including various birds, bees, and insects.
Biological sex is determined by the combination of sex chromosomes. For example, in humans and some other species, males have one X and one Y chromosome, while females have two X chromosomes. But in some other animals, including insects and birds, sex may be determined by the combination of Z and W chromosomes.
Scientists believe that the mechanisms behind bilateral gynandromorphism emerge very early in development. As the organism begins to grow, a male XY cell undergoes mitosis and copies its chromosomes, becoming XXYY, before dividing into two XY cells. However, in gynandromorphs, a difference may occur during this process. Instead of dividing into two XY cells, the cell mistakenly divides into an X cell and an XYY cell. If this disruption occurs in the earliest stages of development, it can result in a large proportion of cells being both X and XYY.
Bowie is currently feeding and wandering around with herring in his own private tank.
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