Rare Orange Nurse Shark Spotted Off Of Costa Rica

Despite having both xanthism and albinism, this Caribbean nurse shark survived well into adulthood, raising new questions about the conditions and the species' adaptability.

During a sport fishing trip off the coast of Costa Rica, fishers reeled in an unusually rare orange-colored nurse shark. It was found at a depth of around 120 feet near Tortuguero National Park, which then shared photographs of the shark on its Facebook page .

Researchers were naturally curious about the shark’s color. To date, no other cartilaginous fish in the Caribbean — a group which includes sharks, rays, and skates — has shown similar coloration.

A Nurse Shark With Overlapping Pigmentation Conditions Astonishes Researchers

According to research from the Federal University of Rio Grande , the orange appear