Though Haddie’s shell is quite a bit tougher than the soft floss of cotton candy, it’s just as pretty.

Lobsterman Bill Coppersmith of Windham with Haddie, a rare cotton candy lobster caught in Casco Bay last weekend, on Tuesday. Coppersmith named the lobster Haddie after his granddaughter, eight-year-old Haddie Coppersmith of Raymond. Staff photo by Shawn Patrick Ouellette

Haddie is a so-called cotton candy lobster caught in Casco Bay last weekend by Bill Coppersmith, a lobsterman for Get Maine Lobster, a direct-to-consumer company based in Portland. Her light blue shell, with hints of pink and purple, is about a 1 in 100 million find. The unusual coloration, according to National Geographic, could be the result of either a genetic mutation or a diet low in a pigment called astaxanthin.

Haddie, a rare cotton candy lobster caught in Casco Bay last weekend by Bill Coppersmith, a lobsterman for Get Maine Lobster. Staff photo by Shawn Patrick Ouellette

Coppersmith has been fishing for 40 years, and Haddie – named after his granddaughter – is his first cotton candy lobster. For now, she is living in a tank at Get Maine Lobster, waiting for an aquarium or other organization to adopt her. And that’s probably a good thing since her unusual coloration could make her more vulnerable to predators.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.