A RARE blue lobster has been caught off the Dorset coast - and has been saved from the cooking pot after fishermen realised the catch of the day was a one-in-two-million specimen.

The blue lobster was caught by J.P. Lander, a member of the Lander family who have been fishing in the area for over 100 years. It was caught off a rock on the Isle of Purbeck, known as ‘Landers rock’ due to the family’s influence.

Catching a blue lobster is widely regarded to be a one-in-two million chance.

Blue lobsters are coloured in this way because of a genetic abnormality which causes them to produce more of a certain protein than others.

The lobster was living in a tank at Frank Greenslade Ltd’s shop in Poole, where it was on display to customers, as shop bosses attempted to find a permanent home for the brightly-coloured crustacean.

Its new home has now been confirmed as the Oceanarium in Bournemouth.

Laurence Greenslade, of Frank Greenslade Ltd, said: “It was a surprise. It has probably been about 30 years since I last saw a blue lobster.

“You definitely couldn’t miss it, it stands out among the other catches.

“We’re trying to figure out what to do with it. It seems a shame to cook and eat it.”