Thread by @DrEricDing

RAREST LOBSTER 🦞 in the world just found—this is “Bowie”—a half male (blue one side), half female (brown other side) Maine lobster with both sex organs. Blue lobsters themselves are only 1 in 2 million, but a split dual-sex lobster that is also half blue is almost unheard of. Locals have nicknamed it “Bowie” for David Bowie. They actually think it can reproduce. Instead of keeping it as a pet, Maine lobsterman Jacob Knowles is keeping it safe in a special large cage with food at three bottom of a harbor, safe from predators & other fishermen. They are looking for a marine sanctuary or ocean science institute (read: not SeaWorld) to adopt Bowie long term. Videos of the saga in thread 🧵 below. I’ve never been so invested in a lobster before, but here we are.

2) Amidst all the darkness in this world, Bowie the bisexual half blue lobster 🦞 is what we need right now.

Video Part 1 on day of discovery— youtube.com/shorts/cis7kao…

3) Bowie the bisexual half blue lobster 🦞 has both sex organs folks. They examined it carefully- it’s has a stiff swimmerret on only one side. Jacob Knowles is well known for his lobster fishing videos in Maine. I’m glad he found him.

youtube.com/shorts/jlnD-e6…

4) Public poll of the fate of Bowie was people wanted them to keep it as a pet, and the people wanted to name is Bowie. So Jacob’s family built a large cage to keep it safe and still in the ocean.

Video part 3. youtube.com/shorts/4emCxqx…

5) Bowie the non-binary dual sex dual blue/brown lobster 🦞 will be kept in the winter in a safe ocean cage. Jacob’s team will also pair it with some other lobsters to see if can get pregnant and grow any eggs. Jacob will donate Bowie to a science institute later to give a permanent home.

Bowie the bisexual lobster is what we need right now!

Video part 4:

6) for those asking what the biological phenomenon that Bowie the half male half female is—called “Bilateral gynandromorph”. It’s been found in many animals. What makes Bowie extra special is it is half blue (already a rarity). Hence extreme double rare.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gynandrom…

7) For humans, there is another known (but rare) phenomenon called HUMAN CHIMERA — in which one normal-looking human can have DNA 🧬 of two separate compositions. I.e. one human of fused DNA - fused fraternal zygotes, but **not Siamese**. Blended!
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_chi…