Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Lobster With "Hand-Like" Claw Caught Off Massachusetts Coast
By
Nell Casey
Published Sep 10, 2013
Modified Sep 11, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Nell Casey
Published Sep 10, 2013
Modified Sep 11, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
We already know there are some freaky-looking lobsters out there in ocean, but this six-clawed crustacean blows the rest of them out of the water. A lobsterman snagged this rare beast off the coast of Hyannis, Massachusetts and, instead of feeding it to the clamoring masses, he decided to preserve its uniqueness for the internet to behold.
The crew donated the lobster to the Maine State Aquarium, where marine scientist David Libby explained that he'd seen deformities like these before, but this mutation was rare. "Sometimes the genes will just get a little mixed and it will grow a funny claw," he told the Bangor Daily News. "But I've never seen anything like this."
The four pound lobster—dubbed Lola—joins a tank full of other lobster curiosities at the aquarium, where she'll live out her life free from average lobster bullying...and as the source of all our aquatic nightmares.
Tagged
cape cod
freak of nature
hyannis
lobster
six-clawed lobster
Nell Casey
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
Where are the cheapest drinks in NYC? A new report details the city's average prices.
The median price of a cocktail in the city is now $16, and $9 for a draft beer.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 19, 2026
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .