Lobster fisherman Mike Billings caught this pearlescent, semi-translucent lobster off the coast of Stonington. The lobster was too small, so he had to throw it back. Credit: Courtesy of Mike Billings

STONINGTON, Maine — A Maine fisherman says he caught a rare, nearly see-through “ghost lobster,” and then threw the crustacean back into the ocean because it was too small to keep.

Mike Billings hauled in the lobster Tuesday morning off the coast of Stonington. The Portland Press Herald reports the lobster’s unique coloration is likely caused by a genetic condition that results in the partial loss of pigmentation.

Billings says he took pictures of the lobster, and then threw it back into the ocean.

This is not Billings’ first encounter with odd lobsters, as he previously caught a rare calico lobster in 2014, the same year he caught one with one blue claw.

In Old Orchard Beach, a spotted lobster was brought to the Beach Lobster and Farmstand on Tuesday, according to CBS affiliate WGME.

Follow the Bangor Daily News on Facebook for the latest Maine news.