An incredible discovery: the first brilliant sharks known to science.
Glow-In-the-Shark
A team of researchers in New Zealand discovered another mystery hidden in the deepest and most unexplored depths of our planet’s oceans: three species of sharks that can glow in the dark, NBC reports.
As detailed in a new article published in the journal Frontiers in marine science Last week, researchers found for the first time that the kite shark, the black-bellied shark and the southern lantern shark are all capable of emitting a bioluminescent glow.
The kitefin in particular is in the interest of the team. The shark is now the largest luminous underwater animal known to science and can reach almost two meters in length. It chases its prey, which are sharks and smaller fish, as well as some crustaceans, almost 300 meters below sea level, in a region often called the “twilight zone”.
Camo culture
The researchers, in collaboration with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) in Wellington, New Zealand, suggest that sharks emit a blue glow to camouflage themselves. The brightness allows them not to be lit from behind by the bright light that emanates from above.
We already know that many other aquatic species, including squids and jellyfish, can glow in the dark, but this is the first time that scientists have been able to prove that some shark species can also glow.
The study sheds light on how little we know about “the vastness of the seabed and the occurrence of luminous organisms in this area”, as the researchers write in their article.
A great mystery remains, however: researchers have yet to discover why the kitefin shark shines, since, unlike the other two species identified in the article, it has almost no natural predators. One theory is that it may be emitting a glow to illuminate the ocean floor and make hunting for prey easier.
SEE MORE INFORMATION: Sharks that glow in the dark? Scientists discover luminous predators of the seabed in New Zealand [NBC News]