With what the journal called an “intense yellow-orange pigmentation and white eyes,” the roughly six-and-a-half-foot shark appeared to have “a condition known as albino-xanthochromism,” an abstract for the journal read. “This unique finding suggests that xanthism does not hinder survival in this species.”
And while there have been previous reports of “abnormal pigmentation” in nurse sharks, the journal continues, “this is the first scientifically documented case of total xanthism in the species and the first record from the Caribbean Sea.”
While the journal touted plans to, uh, dive deeper into the “potential genetic or environmental factors” causing the hue, for now, the fishermen are just excited to help the scientific community swim forward.
“This discovery not only highlights the natural richness of our Caribbean waters, specifically Limon Barra de Parismina,” Parismina Domus Dei wrote on Facebook Aug. 20, “but it also opens the door to new studies on the biodiversity of the Costa Rican Caribbean.”
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