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A giant glow-in-the-dark shark that uses bioluminescence as camouflage to attack its prey lives nearly 1,000 feet below the surface off the coast of New Zealand.
- A kite shark has been spotted in New Zealand that exhibits bioluminescence
- This is the first time that the feature has been observed in the shark species
- He lives deep below sea level where light is unable to reach
- Experts believe it uses the ability to hide from its prey to be able to attack
- They also found a black bellied lantern shark and a southern lantern shark.
There are a number of deep sea creatures that glow in the dark, but a team that studies marine life has the first “giant glowing shark.”
Researchers spotted the kitefun shark off the east coast of New Zealand during an investigation last year, along with two others – a black-bellied lantern shark and a southern lantern shark, which has also bioluminescence.
The kite shark can be almost six feet long and typically lives 984 feet below sea level, considering it the largest glowing vertebrate known.
The three unique creatures live in an area of the ocean called the “ twilight zone, ” which extends 3,200 feet below sea level and out of reach of light.
The study suggests that due to life in a lightless region, sharks have no place to hide and they use their luminous bodies as camouflage – they appear to be backlit against the shiny surface of the water.
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There are a number of deep sea creatures that glow in the dark, but a team that studies marine life has the first “giant glowing shark.” Researchers spotted the kitefun shark off the east coast of New Zealand in an investigation last year
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, was conducted by researchers from Belgium and New Zealand, who made the discoveries in January 2020 and published their results on February 26.
Species were collected from Chatham Rise, which is an area of the ocean floor in eastern New Zealand.
And although the species are known to the scientific community, this is the first time that the phenomenon of bioluminescence has been observed in them.
This phenomenon, also called “living light” or “cold light”, is triggered by a chemical reaction in a fish that contains the luciferin molecule which produces light when it reacts with light.
The kite shark can be almost six feet long and typically lives 984 feet below sea level, considering it the largest glowing vertebrate known. Experts suggest the shark uses this ability as camouflage when attacking prey
“ Bioluminescence has often been considered a spectacular but rare event at sea but given the vastness of the deep sea and the presence of luminous organisms in this area, it is increasingly evident that the production of in-depth light must play an important role in structuring the largest ecosystem on our planet, ”the researchers shared in the published study.
“ This first experimental study of three New Zealand luminous shark species provides insight into shark bioluminescence diversity and highlights the need for further research to help understand these unusual deep-water dwellers: Luminous Sharks . ”
The study mainly focused on the kitefin shark, as researchers wondered why the large vertebrate would have lighting abilities.
They found that although it has few predators, the kitefin shark has one of the slowest cruising speeds among sharks, suggesting that it “ has a high burst capacity. ”
The team found two other sharks with bioluminescence abilities – a black-bellied lantern shark (pictured) and a southern lantern shark
After analyzing the stomach contents of a specimen, the team found that it typically feeds on the smaller lantern sharks which have faster swimming speeds.
Knowing this, the team hypothesized that the kitefin shark uses luminescence in light from the ocean floor while searching for and hunting its prey, while still allowing it to attack in stealth mode.
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