December 8, 2011 at 5:00 pm

Picture of the Day: Rare Cyclops Shark!

by twistedsifter

 

RARE CYCLOPS SHARK

 

cyclops shark with one eye Picture of the Day: Rare Cyclops Shark!

 

An extremely rare cyclops shark (pictured) has been confirmed in Mexico, new research shows. The 22-inch-long (56-centimeter-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.

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.

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.

 

 

 

cyclops shark with one eye 2 Picture of the Day: Rare Cyclops Shark!

Photograph by Enrique Lucero Leon