Overview

• Shopper Kyle Brancato spotted the orange lobster in a Tops store tank in Henrietta near Rochester and bought it to spare it from being sold for food.
• He temporarily housed the animal using borrowed tank water and a 20-gallon seawater setup before transferring it to Humane Long Island.
• Rescuers said the lobster had a stiff claw, was rehabilitated at the executive director’s home, and was strong enough for release on Wednesday.
• The specimen, dubbed Jean-Clawd Van Dam, reflects a pigmentation believed to occur in about one out of every 30 million lobsters.
• The group timed the release to National Lobster Day and encouraged retailers to pardon distinctive lobsters, noting prior local pardons.