Sharks and their elasmobranch relatives are very conservative in their appearance and it’s a very rare sight to see specimens sporting anything but the standard appearance. Albino sharks and rays are almost unheard of in the wild and while we’ve documented captive bred albino cat sharks at our local aquarium before, the dalmatian nurse shark discovered is a new one on us.
The iconic nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum, is known as a lethargic, bottom dwelling species with a disposition like a puppy dog and they are normally the most sandy, shark-colored-shark in the sea. The unusual speckled nurse shark was documented in Honduras by SCUBA divers traveling with the Aggressor Adventures live aboard and it sports a boldly contrasting pattern of deep dark spots that is quite similar to the popular Dalmatian dog breed.
Both the white and black colors of the dalmatian nurse shark are very unusual and suggests a degree of partial leucism in this elasmobranch which usually results in a more piebald, cow-print color pattern. This is not the first speckled nurse shark ever found as a similar fish was documented by Earth Touch News as far back as 2016 but no doubt this phenomenon has always been present in the shark family.
Nurse sharks are hardy and common but they grow large enough to be suitable for only the very largest of saltwater aquariums and especially in a public setting. So while we may not see any domesticated nurse sharks sporting this unique designer appearance any time soon, it’s exciting to know that it is possible to encounter these white-whale dalmatian nurse sharks in the wild.
