Scientists Stunned by Bright Orange Shark Discovered in Costa Rica

Genetics are incredible. They can turn a manta ray pink and peacock white. And apparently, they can transform a shark into an oversized goldfish. In summer 2024, a unique nurse shark was discovered during a sport fishing trip in Costa Rica. Its orange-golden hue surprised participants and scientists alike. Now, a new study published in Marine Biodiversity is shedding light on what exactly is happening genetically to this unique shark.

The authors of the study attribute the unusual coloration to xanthism (or xanthochromism), a change to the animal’s pigmentation. A lack of darker pigments causes an animal with xanthism t0 turn yellow, and it’s more commonly seen in frogs and snakes. In marine animals, it’s quite rare, and the authors state that it has never been observed before in this species. And interestingly, this isn’t the only unique genetic marker for this nurse shark. A close look at the photo also reveals its white eyes, a sign of albinism.

The dual genetic mutations are something that researchers have never before seen in a shark, making it a truly unique specimen. Scientists were particularly fascinated by the fact that the 6-foot-long nurse shark is an adult, and seems quite healthy. This is interesting because an animal’s color is a big part of its survival in the wild. In this case, the brightly colored shark seems to be thriving even though it’s not able to camouflage itself.

“As far as the shark is concerned, it probably has no idea that it’s yellow. And this one seemed to be a healthy, probably newly mature adult,” Nick Whitney, a senior scientist for the New England Aquarium who specializes in nurse sharks, told NPR. “In those early years of life, being yellow like that may have made it stand out more, but it seems to have survived that just fine.”

Researchers were amazed that this bright orange nurse shark has thrived even with it’s unique color.

Source: Scientists have documented a new shark, with a vibrant color; First record case of free-living xanthism in the nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum (Bonnaterre, 1788) from Caribbean Sea

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