Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 26, 2025

RNA In situ Hybridization in Whole Mount Embryos and Cell Histology Adapted for Marine Elasmobranchs
Published on: April 12, 2013
Observations of hypomelanosis in the nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum
Oliver N Shipley1, Jamie Fitzgerald1, Bryan Horne2
1Beneath The Waves, Herndon, Virginia, USA.
Abstract:
Hypomelanosis refers to a suite of skin pigment abnormalities, including albinism, leucism and piebaldism. While documented across many vertebrate species, examples of hypomelanosis are rarely seen in chondrichthyans, with little insight into the potential effects on survival. Here, we report the first observation of abnormal skin pigmentation indicative of piebaldism in the Atlantic nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum, representing only the second reported case of skin aberrations for this species. This extremely rare observation is discussed in the broader context of fitness variation and long-term survival.

