Glowing in the dark shark captured on film for the first time

Glowing in the dark shark captured on film for the first time

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The kitefin shark, Dalatias licha, is the largest known bioluminescent vertebrate in the world, growing to almost two meters in length.
It was found in an area of ​​the ocean known as Chatham Rise, on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island, according to a study published Tuesday by researchers at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium and the National Research Institute of Water and Atmosphere (NIWA) in New Zealand.

Bioluminescence refers to the production of visible light by living organisms through a biochemical reaction. 57 of the 540 known shark species are believed to be capable of producing light, study co-author Jérôme Mallefet, head of UCLouvain’s marine biology laboratory, told CNN on Wednesday.

Although specimens previously showed that the kitefin shark must be capable of producing light, they are “really difficult to observe” as they live between 200 and 900 meters (656-2953 feet) below the ocean’s surface, said Mallefet.

Bioluminescence has also been documented in two other deep-water shark species, Etmopterus lucifer (the black lantern shark) and Etmopterus granulosus (southern lantern shark), as part of the research.

Mallefet realized that sharks were accidentally caught during NIWA trawling surveys, which are used to measure fish stocks, and contacted the organization.

This image shows a lantern shark.

He was invited to participate in a research trip in January 2020 and spent 30 days on board the boat, catching several sharks.

“I was like a child at the foot of a Christmas tree,” said Mallefet, describing how he managed to take a picture of a parrot shark in a bucket in a dark room on the ship.

The deep sea below 200 meters (656 feet) is described as the twilight zone. Many people mistakenly believe that there is no visible light there, but there is some light that sharks find useful, Mallefet said.

These sharks glow bright green in the dark

“They use light to disappear,” he said, explaining how bioluminescence can make sharks invisible against the faint glow of the ocean’s surface.

This protects sharks from predators that swim below them and also makes it easier for them to hunt for prey, Mallefet said.

“We know this is the case for Dalatias licha,” he said, as the remains of smaller sharks were found inside the belly of some specimens, despite the fact that the species is the slowest swimming shark in the world.

The luminous sharks have not revealed all their secrets, including why their dorsal fin shines.

Scientists have discovered a new species of small sharks that glow in the dark

More research is needed to find out if this could be used for signage, said Mallefet, adding: “There are still question marks.”

Mallefet told CNN that he would like to study the dorsal fin in greater detail on future trips to the area, as well as find out what sharks eat and whether they are eaten.

The goal is to learn more about the seabed, which remains mysterious despite being the most common environment on the planet, to make people think more about preserving it, he said.

“I’m afraid we made a lot of mistakes in throwing things overboard,” said Mallefet. “I fear what will happen for the next generations.”

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