"Speckles: The Rare Piebald Dolphin Making Waves in Australia"

Researchers in Australia have discovered a bottlenose dolphin with an extremely rare skin condition called piebaldism, making it one of only 24 reported cases in dolphins worldwide and one of only six photographed cases. Named "Speckles," the dolphin was found in Southern Queensland's Hervey Bay and is the first documented case of this condition in Australia. The condition, similar to albinism and leucism, causes patchy coloration due to partial loss of pigmentation. The discovery was published in the scientific journal Aquatic Mammals, and researchers hope to conduct genetic sampling to learn more about the condition.