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<p>Physical and pigmentation abnormalities have been documented in sea turtle embryos and hatchlings worldwide, but never within Red Sea rookeries. We report the first observations of congenital malformations in five green turtle (<i>Chelonia mydas</i>) embryos and hatchlings from Ras Al Baridi, the largest rookery along the Saudi Arabian coast. Two embryos exhibited leucism, non-modal scute patterns, and craniofacial deformities, while three hatchlings showed normal pigmentation but ocular defects affecting one or both eyes. Micro-CT imaging of a leucistic embryo revealed reduced ocular cavities, abnormal cranial morphology, and incomplete skeletal development compared with a typical hatchling. Such congenital defects are likely to compromise locomotion, orientation, and predator avoidance, thereby reducing survival in the challenging Red Sea environment. Continued monitoring of Ras Al Baridi and other regional rookeries is needed to assess the prevalence of these abnormalities and their implications for population viability.</p>

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First report of congenital abnormalities in green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) embryos and hatchlings from the Saudi Arabian Red Sea

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月17日

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  • Mohammed F. Khayat,
  • Kirsty Scott,
  • Domingo Lattanzi Sanchez,
  • Royale S. Hardenstine,
  • Jesse E. M. Cochran,
  • Michael L. Berumen

摘要

Physical and pigmentation abnormalities have been documented in sea turtle embryos and hatchlings worldwide, but never within Red Sea rookeries. We report the first observations of congenital malformations in five green turtle (Chelonia mydas) embryos and hatchlings from Ras Al Baridi, the largest rookery along the Saudi Arabian coast. Two embryos exhibited leucism, non-modal scute patterns, and craniofacial deformities, while three hatchlings showed normal pigmentation but ocular defects affecting one or both eyes. Micro-CT imaging of a leucistic embryo revealed reduced ocular cavities, abnormal cranial morphology, and incomplete skeletal development compared with a typical hatchling. Such congenital defects are likely to compromise locomotion, orientation, and predator avoidance, thereby reducing survival in the challenging Red Sea environment. Continued monitoring of Ras Al Baridi and other regional rookeries is needed to assess the prevalence of these abnormalities and their implications for population viability.