The sparkling blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea are home to over 700 varieties ... but there have been occasions when this increasingly rare animal has been spotted in the Mediterranean.

They can be found in the tropic and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. Adult leatherbacks also traverse as far north as Canada and ...

Unlike albinism, where there is a complete lack of melanin and the iris is red due to underlying blood vessels, leucistic ...

"These animals likely have a very different ecology ... but there may also be other important areas in the eastern Mediterranean Sea hosting critical habitat such as a nursery," Ferretti said.

The 3cm (1.1in) long creature was part of a group of marine animals known as nudibranchs ... The species was usually found in the Mediterranean Sea and around the coasts of France, Portugal ...

"These animals likely have a very different ecology ... but there may also be other important areas in the eastern Mediterranean Sea hosting critical habitat such as a nursery," Ferretti said.

The report highlights several key coastal regions for research and monitoring within the habitat ranges of the animals, including the Coral Triangle, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean Sea ...

“These animals likely have a very different ecology ... but there may also be other important areas in the eastern Mediterranean Sea hosting critical habitat such as a nursery,” Ferretti ...