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A bright yellow-orange nurse shark photographed off Costa Rica in 2024 is the first scientifically documented case of total xanthism in the species Ginglymostoma cirratum, according to a 2025 study in Marine Biodiversity. The adult shark was caught near Tortuguero National Park, photographed, and released. Its unusual color and white eyes may represent a combination of xanthism and albinism, but the biological cause has not been confirmed.
What was found?
Sport fishers encountered the shark in Caribbean waters near Tortuguero National Park on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast in 2024. The observation was documented at 37 meters depth in water measuring 31.2 °C. The animal was an adult of approximately 200 centimeters (about 2 meters) total length.
The fishers photographed the shark and released it. The record was later described by Marioxis Macías-Cuyare, Gilberto Rafael Borges Guzmán, and Daniel Arauz-Naranjo in a short communication published online on 1 August 2025 as volume 55, article 73 of Marine Biodiversity (primary study).
Why is the shark orange?
Xanthism explains the yellow-orange pigmentation
Xanthism (also called xanthochromism) refers to abnormal yellow pigmentation. The researchers described this shark as having intense yellow-orange coloration, a striking departure from the brown or yellow-brown appearance normally associated with nurse sharks.
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White eyes suggest, but do not prove, albinism
The shark also had white eyes. Reduced melanin is characteristic of albinism, so the authors and subsequent coverage have described the appearance as possible albino-xanthochromism: xanthism together with albinism-like features.
That label is an interpretation of the animal’s visible appearance, not a genetic diagnosis. No study has established which mutation, combination of mutations, or environmental process produced the pigmentation.
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What is scientifically new about this record?
The novelty claim is specific. The 2025 paper calls it the first scientifically documented case of total xanthism in the nurse shark and the first record of that condition in a nurse shark from the Caribbean Sea.
It was not the first unusually colored nurse shark ever reported. The primary article notes earlier reports of albinism, piebaldism, and hypomelanosis in nurse sharks. Nor was it the first orange shark of any species. The significance is the documented combination of a fully yellow-orange nurse shark and white eyes in this geographic setting.
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Why does an adult orange shark surprise researchers?
Nurse sharks’ usual darker coloration can provide camouflage on the seafloor. A highly visible yellow-orange pattern might seem disadvantageous, yet this individual had reached adult size. The authors said that suggests xanthism did not prevent survival in this case, but one sighting cannot show how often unusually colored sharks survive or why this shark did.
Turbid water is one possible explanation
Daniel Arauz-Naranjo suggested that the shark’s location near river mouths may matter: “This shark was found near river mouths, where the water is very murky. Maybe it discovered that being in water where the visibility is poor is a good strategy.” Murky water could reduce the visual impact of unusual coloration.
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Local predators and behavior may also matter
Other possibilities include the local predator community, habitat conditions, or the shark’s own behavior. These remain hypotheses rather than findings demonstrated by the paper.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How researchers reacted to the photographs
Arauz-Naranjo recalled: “At first, nobody could believe it. A lot of people said the picture must be manipulated.” Marioxis Macias, a co-author identified in later reporting, said, “Albinism and xanthism typically occur separately,” and called finding both features in one individual “a surprising and unprecedented discovery.”
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What remains unknown?
- Whether the shark’s coloration resulted from a specific genetic change, environmental conditions, or both.
- Whether the white eyes represented true albinism confirmed by laboratory testing.
- How the pigmentation affected camouflage, predators, health, or reproduction.
- What happened to this individual after it was released.
The authors call for additional genetic and environmental research. The published record contains no subsequent tracking or genetic analysis of this shark.
Where was the orange shark found?
It was found in the Caribbean Sea off Costa Rica, near Tortuguero National Park, at 37 meters depth. The location is important because the paper identifies this as the first Caribbean record of total xanthism in a nurse shark—not because it establishes that all orange nurse sharks live in that habitat.
Is this a new shark species?
No. It was a nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum, with an unusual pigmentation pattern. Xanthism changes coloration; it does not by itself define a new species.
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