Abstract
The nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum (Elasmobranchii, Orectolobiformes), is a littoral, benthic species known to inhabit tropical to subtropical waters in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In Florida, nurse sharks are abundant and frequently observed throughout the shallow reefs and turtle grass flats. Despite this abundance, observable morphological abnormalities reported in nurse sharks, or any chondrichthyan species, are rare in Florida and elsewhere globally. To date, a single report from Key Largo, Florida, by Castro is a photograph of a captured and released white nurse shark exhibiting scattered small brown spots over the body. This nurse shark, ca. 210 cm TL, was described as having intense white pigmentation on the first dorsal fin and flanks and was suggested to be a partial albino, although the iris color was not indicated. The species' skin commonly ranges from yellow-brown to dark brown, and small dark spots less than a few millimeters occur across the entire body in some individuals. However, several reports exist documenting hypomelanosis in nurse sharks, specifically piebaldism and possibly albinism.