Did you know that over 70 percent of our planet is covered by water? Additionally, this vast expanse of water is largely unexplored. Many would say it is the so-called final frontier in terms of exploration. Hidden from all light, creatures grow to unimaginable size or develop unique and bazaar ways of hiding and hunting. Scientists discover new and unknown species that defy belief every year, but sometimes it’s not the scientist that makes the discovery; sometimes, it is a humble fisherman. And this one found a baby shark with what looks like a “human” face!
Mutant baby shark found off the coast of Indonesia
A local fisherman named Abdullah Nuren from Indonesia made headlines when he discovered a mutated baby shark. The 48-year-old fisherman said that he was just going about business as usual, cutting up one of his fresh catches. He found that the mother shark was pregnant with three pups, two of whom looked perfectly normal, but the third appeared to have some kind of facial mutation. The baby shark had a ‘human-looking’ face with two large eyes over a gaping mouth that gave the district impression of surprise.
While mutation is not uncommon, this particular mutation in sharks has not yet been seen and has no explanation. Evidently, the best-educated guess is that some deformity happened in utero and is completely new to science. Dr. David Shiffman of the Arizona State University marine conversation department said that the mutation was caused by a congenital defect rather than a new species.[1]
The future of the baby shark
The fisherman reported that he had never come across a baby shark that looked like this despite having fished the waters for many years.
Needless to say, scientists and curiosity seekers alike have descended up his home in hopes of a glimpse of the baby shark. Consequently, people have offered to buy it from him, but he has decided to preserve it and keep it as a good luck charm.
As curious as the baby shark may seem, it’s hardly the strangest creature to be discovered in recent years. Here are some of the more peculiar examples.[2]
Other Weird water beasts
A Russian fisherman caught what can only be described as a nightmare shark. Basically, it has pale pink skin, wide-open holes as nostrils above an early human mouth, and baby teeth. It looks like a Lovecraftian fever dream.
The sea salp. A tubular filter feeder with completely transparent skin and internal organs. They tend to form large swarms in open water and are most common in the southern oceans.
What do you get when you combine a shark and an eel? Basically, the answer, a frilled shark. These extremely rare and ancient creatures are considered living fossils and are commonly found in the Atlantic sea.
Certainly a beautiful species of mollusk known as a “Margined sea lizard” is most common in the seas of New Zealand.
The blobfish may be the ugliest creature known to man. As you can guess, it looks like a giant blob of wet paste with a face. Though rare, the blobfish is under threat of extinction as a result of overfishing.
The Coelacanth is another living fossil. It was once thought that they had died out with the dinosaurs over 65 million years ago. Since its rediscovery, it’s been found that they have a fairly healthy population and normally grow to around 1.98 m long and can weigh up to 90 kg.
Finally, the anglerfish (Chaenophryne longiceps) is the very definition of nightmare fuel. It lurks in the deepest and darkest water and uses a bioluminescent lure to draw unsuspecting fish to a wall of needle-sharp teeth.[3]
Keep Reading: Photographs Show The True Beauty Of Maine Coons
Sources:
- “Indonesian fisherman finds baby shark with a human face.” Mashable
- “Mutant baby shark caught by fisherman.” Independent.
- “9 of the Weirdest Sea Creatures Ever Discovered.” Interesting Engineering. Christopher McFadden. April 19, 2020