Our selection of top shark stories, highlighting the latest news and discoveries from around the world...

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Whale Sharks Can See In The Dark Thanks To Genetic Mutation

2nd April

While their eyes should strain to deal with the contrast of light in their vertical range, scientists have recently discovered the genetic secret that prevents this from happening. An unusual genetic mutation in these gentle giants makes a pigment in their retina more sensitive to temperature changes.

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Rare shark washes up on Co Wexford shore, in what’s believed to be first in Ireland

4th April

The Smalltooth Sand Tiger (Odontaspis ferox) is rarely seen by humans as it normally lives offshore in waters more than 100m deep.

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Uncovering Mediterranean White Sharks With Environmental DNA

6th April

Researchers can now scan a sample of water, air, or soil for tiny remnants of DNA to identify organisms using eDNA analysis, an emerging molecular technique that is taking the wildlife science industry by storm.

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How skates learned to fly through water is revealed in their genome

12th April

Scientists at Max Delbrück Center in Berlin, the Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD) in Seville and other labs in the United States have discovered how the skate evolved these cape-like fins by peering into their DNA.

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First confirmed sighting of endangered sicklefin devil ray off the US Atlantic Coast

27th April

A new study, led by Jessica Pate from the Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF), has shown that 12ft wide sicklefin devil rays (Mobula tarapacana) are present off the US Atlantic coast. Listed as Endangered by the IUCN, this is the first time these huge, elusive rays have been documented in the eastern US.

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Banner Image: Jillian Morris