Do One-Eyed Sharks Really Exist? Uncovering the Truth Behind a Rare Phenomenon

The one-eyed shark is a very rare congenital defect. On October 18, 2011, fishermen discovered a shark with only one eye off the coast of California, USA. This strange shark not only had just one eye but also suffered from albinism, with a body that was completely snow-white. Its eerie appearance made people wonder whether it was a fake. Let's take a look below and see whether one-eyed sharks really exist!

Do One-Eyed Sharks Really Exist?

One-Eyed Sharks Really Do Exist. Shark researchers confirmed that this "one-eyed" shark discovered in 2011 was indeed born that way. This shark is said to be a bull shark retrieved from the waters off Mexico, a bull shark fetus removed from the belly of a female bull shark by local fishermen. It measured 22 inches (about 56 cm) in length and had only one eye, located at the front of its head. Cases of deformed shark fetuses are extremely rare, with fewer than 50 in the world so far. Some animals, including humans, can exhibit cyclopia.

Can a One-Eyed Shark Survive?

Scientists used X-rays to scan the shark fetus and evaluated the phenomenon of cyclopia in other species, ultimately confirming that it was indeed a one-eyed shark. This condition in sharks is called "cyclopia." American biologists stated that scientists had previously documented one-eyed sharks many times, also in the form of shark embryos. In fact, no one-eyed shark has ever been found growing freely in the water after leaving its mother's body, meaning that a one-eyed shark cannot survive in the wild.

How Is a One-Eyed Shark Formed?

Cyclopia is caused by holoprosencephaly, and the fetus is extremely prone to death or miscarriage, which is why such cases are so rarely seen. Vertebrates normally have a pair of eyes; by contrast, having only a single eye is called cyclopia. It mostly occurs in the center of the face, with only one lens, and the nose and mouth are often abnormal as well. In addition to genetic causes, it can also be induced by various drugs (lithium, magnesium, etc.), hypoxia, and other factors that inhibit development, or by surgical removal of the nerve cord associated with eye induction. Under similar experimental conditions, invertebrates can also develop cyclopia.