“For instance, if we consistently saw a longer caudal fin, or a higher number of vertebrae, or different dermal denticle morphology in one of the morphs it could indicate a genetic separation between them. “We counted the number of vertebrae, the rows of teeth, the number of valves within the intestines, and examined the microscopic details of the dermal denticles (skin teeth), for any such differences,” commented Dahl. Once they realized it was a single species, the team underwent a full morphological study of zebra sharks encompassing morphometric and meristic measurements. Explained Dahl: “Both of these genes have been successful for distinguishing closely related species and could be an indicator of speciation.” Turns out this morph was not a new species and the zebra shark remains a single species based on genetic data from the COI and ND4 markers. Thus, it is a possibility that the specimen described by Nakaya was the very first encountered sandy morph, which may be different from the color morph here described from off the coast of East Africa.ġ Trillion Will Rip In Huge 2024 Biden Bailout Predicted To Crash The U S Dollar And Trigger Bitcoin And Crypto Price Boomĭoes this new beige color morph mean there is a new species of shark? This possibility was evaluated by DNA barcoding using the COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1) and ND4 (mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4) markers. Uniformly colored zebra sharks aren’t exactly new (they’ve been observed off the coast of Australia recently, for example) and in 1973 scientist Kazuhiro Nakaya described a uniformly colored specimen that he referred to as albino even thought the color of the iris was inconsistent with the lack of pigmentation in true albinos (this shark had a dark brown color instead of the tell-tale pink true albinos have). Zebra sharks are well-known species due to a wide distribution across the Indian and Western Pacific oceans and being quite easy to identify from your average grey-looking shark. Known as carpet sharks due to these animals having a marbled or mottled appearance similar to that of fancy carpet designs, they vary with how they look, the habitat they choose, and their size. Zebra sharks are one of the most iconic of the carpet shark (Orectolobiformes) species, a diverse group originating in the early Jurassic period approximately 200 million years ago that is known for their drastic color changes from juvenile to adulthood. Sandy zebra shark in a bucket at the Danish National Aquarium Den Blå Planet.
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