It may not be a whopper of a fish tale after all.
Four months after viral Internet photos of a dead, one-eyed albino shark pup were panned as a hoax, a Mexican marine biologist has surfaced saying the fish is the real deal, LiveScience reported.
Dr. Felipe Galvan Magana, a shark expert at the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine Science, is reportedly on the verge of releasing a scientific paper claiming the find - which was found inside a pregnant bull shark caught by a local commercial fisherman off Cabo San Lucas is June - is a rare case of "Cyclopia."
Tracy Ehring, manager of Pisces Sportfishing, which first posted the photos on the company blog in July, told The News she stumbled on the discovery when a client told her he saw pictures that another fisherman had taken of the bug-eyed, fully-developed pup.
"When I saw the first picture, I said, 'No way,' but then I looked at it closely," says Ehring. "I went to work tracking it down and verifying."
The fisherman told her that the albino was one of 10 pups found inside the 280-pound, 10-foot-long female shark, according to Ehring. The other nine were normal bull sharks.
"This is extremely rare. As far as I know, less than 50 examples of an abnormality like this have been recorded," Galvan Magana posted on the Pisces blog.
Cyclopia, named after the legendary monster from Greek mythology, is a birth defect where the embryo's eyes fail to split into two.
Not everyone, however, bought the photos hook, line and sinker.
"People did not believe us," Ehring says. "You wouldn't believe the comments we got like, 'A Cabbage Patch Doll is missing an eye."
But that didn't stop calls from as far away as Europe -- including from "Ripley's Believe It Or Not"-- seeking to purchase, rent or borrow the carcass. Don't bother calling: it's locked up in Galvan Magana's university as it's being studied.
"I think it's important that people see this," says Ehring, referring to the impending report. "We want to shut the mouths of the skeptics."
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4 comments:
But you wil not hear, "all alive on the inside." The Curator has some interesting, well dusted, exhibits that have been around longer than me.
Now I'm thinking about Iggy and Ziggy the two-headed piggy.
Jim,
When the nitwit Curator was first framing the Big Circus Sideshow he left a freshly "pickled and jared" two headed calf head on a chair in the tiger training barn. The next day we had a surprise USDA inspection. Luckily I spotted the jar as we entered the training barn, and quick steered the inspectors to the left, and into the elephant barn. They may or may not have objected, but with all the heat we were dealing with at the time, I didn't want to agitate them with a decapitated "zoological specimen," as Zych refereed to them. Luckily he came in and I was able to give him the high sign to get it out, and he went around the front and removed it, so we could continue the inspection in the tiger barn.
Wade
I could only wish the one EyEd Albino Shark appeared on the Inside, But more importantly, Think of the Banner that would appear on the Outside of the Tent!
Oh, and Wade, when did my Billing get lowered to Nitwit?, It took me years to achieve Numb-nut!!
Best
The Curator
Curator,
You are still not getting it. Nitwit means you have advanced above and beyond the realm of simple numbnuts. I was three sheeting for you, Pal. Sit back and enjoy, because it's not going to happen very often.
I'm thinking a banner with the one eyed shark coming up under the three titied broad like "Jaws," except the three titied broads top has come off and is floating on top of the water with the wording BIG painted in one cup, CIRCUS in the second cup, and SIDESHOW in the third, would pull them in off the midway like a magnet. No need to have The Seal Boy making like Buddy Rich on the stage anymore attracting the suck..., sorry patrons.
To you my first consultation is free, but after that you pay the big bucks like everyone else, Pal.
Wade
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