Rare all-blue crab

Started by NickG, July 29, 2019, 09:29:45 AM

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NickG

https://www.witn.com/content/news/NC-fisherman-catches-rare-all-blue-crab-513254621.html


By Tony Castleberry | Updated: Fri 3:28 PM, Jul 26, 2019


HOLDEN BEACH, N.C. (WECT) - Dean Bowling has pulled in thousands of crabs from thousands of crab pots during his decades-long career as a commercial fisherman.

This week, for the first time in his life, he caught one that caused him to stop what he was doing and call his daughter, Jillian.

"'You're not gonna believe what I caught in the trap today,'" Jillian Bowling recalled her dad saying. "So I said, 'Send me a picture' and he sent me a picture and I could not believe my eyes. I called him immediately and said, 'Do you know what you have? That's amazing. That's one in a billion.'"

What Dean had was a blue crab that was entirely blue.

Jillian, who grew up on her dad's boat and continues to study marine life, was not being hyperbolic with her one in a billion comment.

"The blue crab that we showed today is actually a one in a billion chance," she said. "This is a genetic mutation that occurs, very rare."

Much like chameleons or flounder, crabs have chromatophores which allow them to change color and fool predators.

Jillian said a regular blue crab can change from dark green to light green but the blue crab Dean caught has an excess of blue protein in his chromatophores, causing the entire crab to be blue.

"I have seen crabs with albinism — patches of white or their whole shell will be white — but I've never seen one like this before in my life," Jillian said.

The Bowlings are going to keep the rare crab they've named Blue in one of their crab tanks. Jillian said Blue will be fed well, mate with female crabs and have no predators for the rest of its life, which could be another 8-to-10 years.





tattoo

You are not going to beleve it , But I have one of those that I am doing a mount for a guy
A CRAB A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY.

shedking

Not that color but I did catch one with odd coloration last year. That's cool thanks for sharing
Each one of us here today will at one time in our lives look upon a loved one who is in need and ask the same question: We are willing to help, Lord, but what, if anything, is needed? For it is true we can seldom help those closest to us. Either we don't know what part of ourselves to give or, more often than not, the part we have to give is not wanted. And so it is those we live with and should know who elude us. But we can still love them - we can love completely without complete understanding.

doggfish55

I caught one awhile back in October 2017.
I put it in a tank to save it and take it to the zoo but the filter failed overnight, I should have just cooked him up to see if they taste different too.

tattoo

i have only seen two of them , and that is because i did mounts for the guys who caught them
A CRAB A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T



BJ1fish


tattoo

A CRAB A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY.

capt. ron

Must be something in the water near Morgan City.  That's where I've caught blue crawfish.  LOL

Ronnie
laissez les bon temps rouler
let the good times roll

shedking

Each one of us here today will at one time in our lives look upon a loved one who is in need and ask the same question: We are willing to help, Lord, but what, if anything, is needed? For it is true we can seldom help those closest to us. Either we don't know what part of ourselves to give or, more often than not, the part we have to give is not wanted. And so it is those we live with and should know who elude us. But we can still love them - we can love completely without complete understanding.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T