MEXICO – An extremely rare cyclops shark was recently discovered.
The 22-inch-long fetus has a single, functioning eye at the front of its head—the hallmark of a congenital condition called cyclopia, which occurs in several animal species, including humans.
Earlier this year fisher Enrique Lucero León legally caught a pregnant dusky shark near Cerralvo Island (see map)in the Gulf of California. When León cut open his catch, he found the odd-looking male embryo along with its nine normal siblings. “He said, That’s incredible—wow,” said biologist Felipe Galván-Magaña, of the Interdisciplinary Center of Marine Sciences in La Paz, Mexico.
Once Galván-Magaña and colleague Marcela Bejarano-Álvarez heard about the discovery—which was put on Facebook—the team got León’s permission to borrow the shark for research. The scientists then x-rayed the fetus and reviewed previous research on cyclopia in other species to confirm that the find is indeed a cyclops shark.
Cyclops sharks have been documented by scientists a few times before, also as embryos, said Jim Gelsleichter, a shark biologist at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. The fact that none have been caught outside the womb suggests cyclops sharks don’t survive long in the wild.
Overall, finding such an unusual animal reinforces that scientists still have a lot to learn, Gelsleichter added.
“It’s a humbling experience to realize you ain’t seen it all yet.”
Christine Dell’Amore
National Geographic
Something about this shark makes me think that it is a fake.
eeeeetaaaa fake its your anus
That's a little disturbing lol If it is real then it's probably best it didn't survive, unless of course this is what nature intends as the next evolutionary leap. Maybe it can see better with one big eye? Great story, thanks Bat-boy for bringing us such great stories!
It's not real.
thats sooooooooooooo fake looks like playdo so ya its sooo fake!!!!!!
I say it looks fake, but I say it looks more like rubber.
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haha lmao it looks like its made of playdough
to those who say fake, it's an embryo a.k.a not fully developed.
?!?!?!?
BONAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!! BUT thats besides the point its pretty cool so DONT be a hater y,all
It may be the result of the radioactive material released on the pacific by the Japan disaster.
What else we will see?
I hope we don't see Godzilla!
Looks like the Lela character out of futurama. funny post.