Caught just off of Albania’s coast, an elusive deep-sea shark was caught, but soon, it was apparent that this shark had a unique condition – it had pale white skin. This is the first time this has been seen in an angular roughshark species.
Angular Roughshark
The angular roughshark is a critically endangered species, which makes this find all the more interesting. They are found in small numbers in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and lives in the depths of 60-600 meters. The species usually has a dark gray body – a stark contrast to the ghostly white specimen.
Elusive Sharks
Angular roughshark are notoriously elusive animals that evade researchers. They are difficult to study and observe due to their low numbers and their population distribution in the deep seas along the eastern Atlantic from Norway to South Africa.
A Strange Appearance
The ghostly white roughshark had a pale body with light gray patches along its body. Researchers examined the shark and found that it wasn’t sickly, and was in perfect health. There was a genetic mishap that has given the shark the strange appearance.
Albinism
Albinism is a rare genetic disorder that occurs rarely in both humans and wildlife in the animal kingdom. This disorder results in little to no melanin, which causes white or red skin and red or pink eyes. Researchers ruled out albinism in the roughshark and concluded that it had another rare disorder called Leucism.
Leucism
Leucism and Albinism are similar disorders. While albinism removes all melanin, Leucism reduces melanin production, resulting in only partial melanin loss. The shark’s eyes also kept their pigment, where albinism had a dramatic effect.
A Potential Hindrance?
While Leucism does leave a startling visual affect on the roughshark, it acts as a hinderance in its environment. The white skin is far more visible than their dark-gray coloration which would have implications to their survival. Although this would be the case in many terrestrial animals, researchers have found that color does not matter as much in the depths of the ocean.
Insights Into Disorders
This roughshark is the first example of a member of the Oxynotidae family having Leucism, and it proves that they can be affected by it. This is essential in scientific research into genetic abnormalities in animals.
The Need For Conservation
Being a vulnerable species, the angular roughshark needs the attention of conservation if their species are to recover. They reproduce between 10 and 12 pups each year but their deep sea habitat means that approximations on their population is difficult.
Hard To Study
The accidental catch off the coast of Albania was a very rare occurance, not just because of the specimen’s leucism, but also because just finding these sharks so close to the surface is a marvel in itself.
Potential Causes Of Leucism
As far as scientists understand, leucism can be triggered in the genetic code of an animal for a number of reason. In the case of the angular roughshark, it could be due to a low population density which means less genetic lineages.
The Importance Of Research
It’s important for researchers to study genetic disorders like leucism in animals to get a better understanding of their biology and ecology. If successful, they could get insights into population dynamics, genetic dispersion, and diversity, as well as how they adapt to their environment.
Future Research
Future research on the angular roughshark could focus on the implications that leucism has on their population. It’s still inconclusive whether or not the lack of pigment could make these sharks more vulnerable to predators and easier to be evaded by prey.
