Move over, crab and shrimp, a lobster emoji is on the way.
The official green light came Wednesday from the Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit group based in Mountain View, Calif., that’s also home to Google and other technology giants.
The lobster emoji was one of 157 new ones approved by Unicode and announced on its blog, along with a mosquito, a female superhero, a pirate flag and a softball. All are scheduled for release in June, for use in text messages, emails and social media.
Unicode considered adding a red lobster after an 11-page application submitted by a Dylan Sherry of Emojination, who made the case that the addition “will complete the representation of popular crustaceans in the emoji collection.”
U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, welcomed the news in a triple-exclamation point tweet thanking Unicode for “recognizing the critical impact of this critical crustacean, in Maine and across the country.”
He signed off with an image of a cow (for Angus) and a crown (for King).