Scientists in Australia have recorded a sighting of a unique-looking marine mammal—and its name lives up to its appearance. Speckles, a bottlenose dolphin spotted in Queensland’s Hervey Bay in September 2022, has a rare skin condition called piebaldism, defined by patchy coloration (or “speckles”). “Piebaldism is similar to albinism and leucism, where the animals typically have white skin, feathers or fur, whereas piebaldism is a partial-loss of pigmentation so the individuals show this patchy colouration,” Alexis Levengood, who co-authored a recent study on Speckles, said in a press release that described the animal as “one of the world’s most unusually colored dolphins.” Freckles. SaintM Photos/ iStock
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