A strange lobster was found in Maine. It was unique that one called it "the rarest lobster in the world" due to its distinct features.
Meet Bowie, The Lobster
Jacob Knowles, a Maine lobsterman, has gained nearly 150,000 new followers on Instagram after sharing a video of a unique lobster with two sexes and split colors - blue and orange. They named the sea creature "Bowie," after David Bowie, due to the latter's striking and gender-bending 1970s couture.
The lobster exhibits the trait called "gynandromorphy," which means it has both male and female reproductive organs. As far back as 70 million years ago, gynandromorphy was seen in ancient crustaceans, the group to which lobsters belong. It appears to result from a genetic mistake during these early stages.
In the first clip that Knowles shared on social media, he said Bowie was the coolest lobster and one of the rarest he ever encountered due to its split color. It was 50-50; 50% blue and 50% orange.
One noted that it was called "bilateral gynandromorphy," adding that she was jealous he got to find one. According to the netizen, crustaceans, birds, insects, reptiles, and rodents have all been observed to carry this relatively uncommon genetic mutation.
When cells begin to replicate in the very early stages of development, one does so atypically, resulting in cells with a distinct chromosomal pattern from the others! Different forms of gynandromorphy exist.
Bilateral gynandromorphy is commonly divided down the middle, while some are more chaotically "divided." Because their wings are decorated with various designs, butterflies are typically the easiest to identify! Cardinal birds reportedly exist, too, and are striking. The online user noted that it's an intriguing chromosomal abnormality!
Certain species of crustaceans frequently exhibit hermaphrodite behavior, which involves either having complete male and female reproductive organs (simultaneous hermaphrodites) or changing their sex during their lives (sequential hermaphrodites).
The anatomy of male and female lobsters differs. The female has a broader tail that conceals her clutch of eggs beneath her swimmerets.
However, scientists believe it is simpler for them to evolve into gynandromorphs in their early stages because they are crustaceans.
Bowie's split colors are not typical. It's half blue and half the usual colors of lobsters. According to an often-quoted estimate from the Lobster Institute at the University of Maine in Orono, it only happens in roughly 1 in 50 million lobsters.
"They're uncommon, but not that uncommon," the Lobster Institute's then-executive director Robert Bayer said in 2015. "We see them every year."
What Is Gynandromorphy
A gynandromorph is an organism with traits from both the male and female sexes. It came from the Greek words "gyne" (female), "andro" (man), and "morphé" (shape).
Intersexuality and gynandromorphy are not the same thing. A gynandromorph is an animal that combines characteristics of both sexes, with both male and female tissues present throughout.
On the other hand, an animal that is intersex will appear to be entirely male or entirely female, both physically and genetically. Yet, it will have some incomplete sexual anatomy from both sexes.
"Ovotestis" is an intersex condition in which the male reproductive organs of lobsters resemble ovaries. Some researchers have observed this condition.
According to a 2012 case study, male lobsters were found to have unfertilized egg cells next to their sperm cells. The study's author hypothesized that hormone-disturbing substances in the lobster's surroundings may have caused this.
Furthermore, a few scientists believe this phenomenon may become more frequent due to pollution.
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