Lobster Suckered Us
Five times larger than life lobster leaves his mates in the shade
It really would be a Hell's Kitchen if you were presented with this lobster for the pot.
Fortunately, however, this Giant Pink Spiny lobster looks set to live out his retirement in an aquarium - and perhaps score a place in the record books.
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Poseidon, held by Rachel Rigby from the Blue Reef Aquarium, Newquay
Named Poseidon for his size and strength, this lobster dwarfs others, measuring two feet in length and a whopping nine-and a-quarter pounds.
He was accidentally caught by the fishing boat Brittania around 200 miles south west of Newlyn, Cornwall. Spiny lobsters are actually a type of crayfish and don't usually occur in British waters.
The crew were fishing for stony bass on a wreck at a depth of 238 metres when they found him, and he is now on display at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay.
He is around five times the size of the average lobster as can be seen when he stands next to his mate.
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Poseidon, sat next to a normal sized specimen in Newquay - he is tipped for the record books for his size
Staff at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay were shocked to see quite how big he was, especially when he proudly displayed his huge antennae which reach over the back of aquarium worker Rachel Rigby's head.
They make his mate look rather puny and inferior in comparison.
Now experts are now consulting record books to see if Poseidon is the biggest one ever landed in Britain.
Blue Reef's David Waines said: "He's a real monster. In fact he's so big that it takes two members of staff to pick him up safely.
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Curator Matt Slater, from the Blue Reef Aquarium, Newquay, holds Poseidon the giant lobster
"Over the years we have looked after some very big crustaceans indeed ranging from Alaskan king crabs to lobsters but everyone here believes this is the largest specimen we've ever seen."
The pink spiny lobster is closely related to the common crawfish but is usually found off the west coast of Africa and in the Mediterranean.
It grows much bigger than its cousin and can survive at depths of up to 600 metres.
"British records for this particular species are rare and we're still trying to establish whether Poseidon is a record breaker.
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Poseidon's mate looks a bit jealous of his friend's size
"However it would appear that he is at least twice the average size for a pink spiny lobster and therefore there's got to be a good chance," added David.
Poseidon was one of three pink spiny lobsters landed by the Britannia during their wreck fishing trip. The other two were sold at the fish market in Newlyn.
"Poseidon's extraordinary size saved him from the pot and we're now hoping that he'll be able to live out the rest of his days in the safety of the aquarium.
"No one's certain how long pink spiny lobsters live but to have grown so large one can only assume that he is a real old man of the sea," added David.
Original Article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=482488&in_page_id=1770 |
