A massive 27-pound lobster, “Rocky,” caught off the coast of Maine

While the phrase “27-pound lobster” may make your mouth water, this enormous crustacean will unfortunately never be served with a bib and extra butter: it has already been returned to the ocean.

This sea beast was caught by shrimp fisherman Robert Malone in Rockland, Maine, last week and has been given the nickname Rocky.

The size of a lobster’s claws makes it an apt nickname, given the ferocious fists of Sylvester Stallone’s character in the classic Rocky films.

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And while seafood lovers everywhere might be saddened to learn that the 40-inch-long catch has been released back into the wild — after a brief stint at the Maine State Aquarium — chances are it wouldn’t make for an appetizing dish anyway.

Although Rocky seems like a hearty meal, experts believe his size could indicate a long life – and older lobsters don’t usually have the most flavorful meat.

But if you were to dine on this beefy lobster, how much would it cost you?

The current market price of lobster per pound is around £7-8. So if you were to have Rocky served to you on a silver platter, it would cost you between £190-220!

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Rocky is the largest lobster ever brought to the Maine Aquarium, outweighing the previous title holder by four pounds. He dwarfs the lobsters people usually eat, which typically weigh between one and two pounds.

The largest lobster ever caught came from Nova Scotia, Canada, and weighed more than 40 pounds.

A spokesperson for the Maine State Aquarium said Rocky was released into the ocean because he would do better in the wild.