A vivid orange nurse shark with striking white eyes was photographed off Costa Rica in 2024, then released. Researchers later interpreted its unusual color as xanthism and suggested its eyes might also indicate albinism—but those explanations are based on photographs, not a confirmed genetic or laboratory diagnosis.
What happened to the orange shark?
During a sport-fishing trip off Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, fishers encountered the shark near the area of Tortuguero National Park. Reports place it at about 37 metres (120 feet) deep. The fishers photographed it, removed the hook and returned it to the sea; it was not landed for scientific examination.
The individual was estimated at about 2 metres (6.6 feet) long. Those figures describe this encounter, not the typical size or depth range of nurse sharks. Fisher Garvin Watson, who was involved in the encounter, told Live Science: “We could not believe what we had in front of our eyes.” He also recalled: “That orange shark shining with the sunlight was something out of the ordinary.”
What kind of shark was it?
It was a nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum—not a newly discovered species. Nurse sharks are ordinarily described as yellowish to gray-brown or brown. In photographs, this one had a vivid yellow-orange body and eyes that appeared white, with no visible dark irises.
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What causes xanthism, and what do the white eyes mean?
The study authors interpreted the unusually yellow-orange coloration as xanthism, a pigmentation condition associated with an excess of yellow pigment. Coverage also uses the spelling “xanthochroism.” That is an interpretation of the shark’s appearance, rather than a mechanism confirmed through direct examination.
The white appearance of the eyes led the authors to suggest that albinism may also be present. If both conditions occur together, the combination is described as albino-xanthochromism. The eye appearance is observed in photographs; albinism remains a tentative explanation, not an established genetic diagnosis.
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Genetic factors are discussed as a likely influence, but the cause in this individual is unknown. Environmental stress, elevated temperatures and hormonal imbalance have also been raised as possibilities, not demonstrated causes. Study lead author Marioxis Macías-Cuyare told Live Science: “Many factors influence this, such as the environment, but everything remains speculative until the variables that could influence this genetic condition are tested.”
Why is this called a first-of-its-kind sighting?
The record is notable as the first scientifically documented case of xanthism in a nurse shark and the first report of the condition in a cartilaginous fish in the Caribbean. That precise scope matters: it does not establish that no orange shark has ever been seen elsewhere, or that this was the first unusual-colored shark of any kind.
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Macías-Cuyare described the team’s reaction to the images this way: “We were very surprised and excited when we saw the [xanthism] in the photos.” The report makes the distinction between the photographed traits and their proposed biological explanation: orange coloration and white-looking eyes were visible; the conditions inferred from them were not confirmed by DNA testing or a laboratory examination.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Could the unusual color affect the shark’s survival?
There is no reported evidence establishing whether this shark’s conspicuous color affected its camouflage, ability to hunt, or avoidance of predators. Reaching an estimated length of about 2 metres shows it survived to a substantial size, but it does not prove that its coloration carried no survival cost.
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The available reports provide no population-prevalence estimate for xanthism in nurse sharks. The encounter is scientifically notable because of its documented appearance and taxonomic and geographic context, not because researchers have quantified how often the condition occurs.
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