Rare Ghostly Great White Shark Discovered

A ghostly white-ringed shark was found near Sazan Island, Albania. It is the first case of albinism ever recorded in the species.

A white shark, the critically endangered anglerfish (Oxynotus centrina), was caught by a commercial fishing vessel off the coast of Sazan Island , an uninhabited military island.

Researcher Andrej Gajić holds a shark underwater. (Photo: Andrej Gajić, Sharklab ADRIA , research funded by the Explorers Club Expedition Grant 'What lurks in the deep sea?!' )

The shark is the first of its species to be found to have albinism , a genetic disorder that disrupts melanin production, causing a lack of pigmentation, scientists report in a new study.

Unlike albinism, in which animals have no melanin at all and have red irises, albino sharks have normal iris pigmentation even though they appear completely white.

'Some studies suggest that the lack of pigmentation may make individuals more easily detected by both predators and prey, potentially reducing their chances of survival,' said researcher Gajić.

Pigmentation disorders are 'extremely rare' in sharks , with only 15 cases recorded in deep-sea species, Gajić said.

Scientists also want to learn how human threats, such as pollution and fishing, affect sharks' susceptibility to disease and other disorders.