Shark's Torn Fin Seen Regenerated a Year Later in an Incredible First [View all]

07 January 2024
By CARLY CASSELLA

A silky shark photographed with a massive tear in its dorsal fin has reappeared with an astonishing makeover nearly a year after it was first discovered with the injury.

The shark was initially spotted off the coast of Florida by an underwater photographer and diver in July of 2022.
A huge chunk was missing from its dorsal fin, equalling about 20 percent of the whole appendage. The position of the tear was just where the creature had been previously tagged by scientists.

It seems that somebody caught this silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis), possibly as a mistake during fishing, and purposefully removed its tag with a sharp object. The reasons why remain unknown.
The result left the shark's dorsal fin so butchered that on seeing the photo, researcher Chelsea Black from the University of Miami thought the creature would struggle to swim well enough to feed.

To her great surprise, however, the shark showed up 332 days later looking remarkably put together. It had regained about 87 percent of its fin back and was swimming normally. The shark was in seemingly good health.

More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/sharks-torn-fin-seen-regenerated-a-year-later-in-an-incredible-first