A Rare Cyclops Shark Found.
The Eye Has It
Photograph courtesy Marcela Bejarano-Álvarez
The cyclops shark also has other deformities, including albinism, or a total lack of tissue pigments; no nostrils; a bump on its snout; and a spinal abnormality, according to Galván-Magaña. (See more pictures of albino animals.)
A mother’s poor diet—especially a lack of vitamin A—can cause cyclopia in mammals, including people, but it’s difficult to determine the cause of the condition in sharks, he said.
Even so, Galván-Magaña suspects the defects in this case aren’t related to pollution. “The fishing area close to Baja California Sur is clear of pollution, is a pristine zone, and we cannot consider it as a cause for abnormalities in dusky sharks,” according to the study.
Published October 13, 2011
woah
(via merahmerr)
