A rare and visually stunning shark with bright orange skin and stark white eyes was recently spotted by fishermen near Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica. While the pictures were initially taken last year, a new scientific study has brought the creature back into the spotlight, confirming that its unique appearance is the result of an extremely rare combination of two separate genetic conditions.
According to a study published in a scientific journal, the shark’s intense yellow-orange coloration is caused by a condition called xanthism. Researchers noted that this is the first scientifically documented case of xanthism in a free-swimming nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) and in any cartilaginous fish in the Caribbean Sea.
Adding to its unique appearance, the shark also had white-hued eyes. Scientists say this is due to albinism, a condition characterized by a lack of melanin, the pigment responsible for a creature’s coloration. The combination of both conditions is known as albino-xanthochromism.
Despite the fact that such a striking color could make the shark more vulnerable to predators by removing its natural camouflage, its size of approximately 200 cm indicates that it has reached adulthood and has been able to thrive. The study suggests that this unique finding points to the possibility that xanthism does not necessarily hinder survival in this species. The discovery has since raised new questions among scientists about genetic diversity and the role of environmental factors in marine life.
The fishermen who captured the pictures and later released the shark back into the wild were amazed by the creature’s unusual appearance, with one fisherman describing it as looking “like an alien.”