A mysterious cyclops shark -- or a shark with a single eye in the middle of its head -- was discovered by a commercial fisherman off the Gulf of California. The shark was actually discovered during the summer, but shark researchers have been studying, examining and preserving the cyclops shark since its discovery.
The shark itself is colorless -- a sickly white hue with a large, solitary eye in the middle of its forehead, just above its mouth. All other features, including fins, tale and mouth, appear to be normal. The only abnormality is the lack of one eye.
According to a report by CBS News, where you can see pictures, the shark was cut from the belly of a pregnant dusky shark with nine other, regularly developed shark fetuses. Though the pictures of the strange creature appear doctored or altered to create the cyclops appearance, researchers have verified that this bizarre looking shark is actually the real deal.
Felope Galvan Magana, a shark expert with Mexico's Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias del Mar, told reporters that the albino cyclops shark is, "extremely rare."
The official name for the anomaly is "Cyclopia."
"As far as I know, less than 50 examples of an abnormality like this have been recorded," added Magana.
The cyclops shark did not survive after it was cut out from the mother shark's womb. It's also unlikely that the malformed sea creature would have lived outside of the womb if it were carried full term.
The commercial fisherman who originally discovered the cyclops shark has kept and preserved the remains of his findings, say various media reports. He did allow scientists to examine and x-ray the fish in order to authenticate it. A report on their findings will be published by Pisces Fleet and Glavan Magana in the coming weeks.
