Mutant shark: specimen recovers fin after being attacked

Sharks are impressive animals and one of the few that survived the prehistoric period. Exactly, these terrifying animals also coexisted with dinosaurs and managed to resist the impact of the large meteor that extinguished the large reptiles.

However, a recent event still shows that we know very little about marine animals. Researchers were shocked to see that a shark-silk (Carcharhinus falciformis) managed to regenerate part of his fin after being injured by humans in the state of Florida, USA.

Basically, the poor animal had its tracking tag, which is normally attached to its fin by marine biologists, abruptly ripped off, which caused a very painful injury to it.

Then, a local diver named John Moor called the researchers after noticing the injury and the absence of the device.

Shark fin regenerates

The stages of fin recovery – Image: Josh Schellenberg/John Moore/Reproduction

After receiving the call, all academics involved in the study project on shark migration were astonished by what had happened. After all, until now nothing like that had ever happened and the cruelty of the act was simply revolting.

“I told him it would be impossible to miss the satellite tag on the dorsal fin, so he would know if it was one of our sharks,” said research author and University of Miami doctoral student Chelsea Black.

So, when the first photos of the wound arrived, scholars were able to notice that where the tracking equipment used to be there was a hole.

In fact, Black did not expect to encounter the shark again, as the wound was large and would make it difficult for the fish to move.

But, to the team’s surprise, it returned to the same waters where it had been photographed and cataloged almost a year earlier. Its deteriorated fin was fully recovered, although slightly stubbier than its original shape.

“My first reaction was relief that the shark was still alive, as it was a traumatic injury that could affect its ability to swim or create a significant infection,” said Chelsea.

The whole incident caused quite a stir, as this is only the second case where regeneration of this type was found in a species of shark.

Unfortunately, these animals are threatened with extinction due to overfishing and climate change.

According to speculation, the animal was probably caught by fishermen who cut off its tag to try to sell it or simply wanted to harm studies on the conservation of these mysterious forms of life.

Now scientists will continue trying to understand how recovery happens, as it has been proven to be a rarely observed event.

Black believes that the renewed limb is composed primarily of scar tissue, but there is no theory more elaborate on the topic.