Rare orange sharks have appeared off the coast of Costa Rica, surprising fishermen and scientists, revealing many interesting mysteries of the deep ocean.
Báo Khoa học và Đời sống•20/08/2025
A nearly 2m long orange shark was caught by a fisherman during a sport fishing trip off the coast of Costa Rica. The shark's "strange" color has made many people curious. According to experts, the orange shark above has the characteristic features of xanthism - a rare pigmentation condition that causes yellow or golden coloration on the animal's skin, scales or fur.
Although xanthism has been observed in some fish species, it has never been documented in cartilaginous fishes, including sharks, rays, and stingrays, in the Caribbean. In addition to its unusual orange color, the shark also has striking white eyes, which are signs of albinism. Scientists say it is extremely rare for a shark to survive into adulthood with both abnormal pigmentation conditions.
Based on the shark's size, researchers from the Federal University of Rio Grande concluded that having two unusual pigmentation conditions did not appear to affect its ability to survive. Albinos and animals with Xanthism are often easy targets for predators due to their striking colors.
At the same time, this condition also makes them more sensitive to sunlight and reduces their ability to find a mate. Photo: Parismina Domuss Dei/Facebook. Readers are invited to watch the video : Discovering many new species in the Mekong River Region. Source: THĐT1.
Comment (0)