orange lobster toronto

Another rare orange lobster is heading to Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto

The rare orange lobster, Pinchy, who was recently found in a Toronto grocery store, is about to get a friend.

A second orange lobster was just spotted in a Sobeys grocery store in Kincardine, Ontario, and should be heading to Ripley's Aquarium this week.

Pinchy was found just about a week ago in a grocery store and rescued by Ripley's. Apparently, the odds of finding one of these special creatures are one in 30 million.

Well, Toronto just got doubly lucky.

A bright orange guy was easily noticed by Kincardine Sobeys staff, seafood manager Brian Track tells blogTO. They found the orange crustacean nearly a month ago when unloading a delivery from Allseas Fisheries. The lobsters came from Nova Scotia.

"It came in on a Sunday and one of the young lads who works for me, took a picture and asked me what to do with it," Track says. "And I said, 'put it in the tank and don't sell it.'"

Track, who has never seen an orange lobster in his 21 years as seafood manager, named the lobster Mr. Nimbus (king of the ocean and Atlantis on the show Rick and Morty).

Mr. Nimbus has been a hit in the store.

"He's had his picture taken 100 times in the last couple of weeks," says Track.

At first, Track wasn't sure what to do with Mr. Nimbus, but after he saw stories about Pinchy, he decided to contact Ripley's. He says someone is expected to pick up Mr. Nimbus tomorrow.

Although the lobster has been in the tank for nearly a month, Track says he is healthy.

"I just checked him this morning and he is good and strong."

Ripley's confirmed that Sobeys had contacted them and they are working with the animal care team.

Orange lobsters get their unique, pumpkin-like colour from a rare genetic mutation that only occurs in one out of roughly 30 million lobsters, according to the aquarium.

Bright blue lobsters (one-in-two million) are also rare but the white lobster (one-in-100 million) is the rarest.

Lead photo by Deborah Finlayson

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