Fishermen and experts stunned after rare orange shark caught
Xanthism, which results in excessive yellow or golden colours due to a lack of red pigmentation, has never before been observed in cartilaginous fish in the Caribbean.
The six-foot-long shark, captured near Tortuguero National Park, also exhibited traits of albinism, including distinctive white eyes.
While such conditions typically make sharks more vulnerable to predators, this discovery challenges assumptions about the survival rates of affected animals.
The finding prompts experts to call for further research into potential genetic or environmental factors influencing this rare pigmentation anomaly in local nurse shark populations.
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