I am very upset - he was a real star at the aquarium.

Karl Thomson Curator

A search of the centre revealed a hole in a nearby fence and a missing fish crate.

The crate was later discovered next to a burnt out fire on a beach.

Albino lobsters are very rare because their lack of camouflage makes them an easy target for predators.

Curator Karl Thomson said it looked as though Ariel had been cooked on the fire and eaten.

"If someone has cooked him I would like to sit them down and make them realise just what they have done," he said.

"I would like to think he has been released or even he has been sold off to a private aquarium, but I think he has probably been eaten.

Holiday makers' fears

"I am really upset. He was a real star at the aquarium. He has been a great educational aid as we took him to schools and showed him to children," Mr Thomson said.

Ariel was discovered by a local fisherman three years ago and donated to the Sea Life Centre.

Albino lobsters do not usually survive for very long in the wild.

"Because of their colour they tend to get picked off by predators and attacked by other lobsters," Mr Thomson said.

Fears that Ariel ended up on a plate

"Had he been in the wild he would never have survived this long."

Ariel was around one-and-a-half feet long and weighed around 3lbs.

He had his own private tank at the Sea Life Centre to prevent any attacks from other lobsters.

Since his disappearance holiday makers have been asking what has happened to him.

The police have been informed of his disappearance but Mr Thomson believes he will only find out Ariel's fate if the thieves own up.

"Even if he has been sold off I will at least know he is still alive," he said.