Lobsters and Astaxanthin

Consider the Lobster

Next time you have the opportunity to enjoy some lobster for dinner, consider that bright red color . It comes from astaxanthin that the lobster has synthesized using carotenoids supplied from a diet of small crustaceans and mollusks. But why is the lobster not red in nature? The lobster uses a protein called crustacyanin to squeeze two astaxanthin molecules together. The crustacyanin protein changes the way astaxanthin absorbs light, converting it from a red pigment to a more blue pigment that helps the lobster camouflage against the ocean floor. Exposure to boiling water makes crustacyanin protein fall apart, releasing astaxanthin molecules from their protein trap and restoring that characteristic bright red color.