mysterious polar shark, One of the longest-lived animals on Earth, Thousands of miles away from homein the Caribbean Sea.
A group of researchers discovered a rare “sleeping shark”a deep-sea animal, on the coral reefs of Belizeaccording to study subordinate Florida International University.
Researchers believe that the exact species of sleeping shark is unknown “Most likely a Greenland shark, or a hybrid between a Greenland shark and a Pacific sleeping shark”read in the study.
It is the first record of this type of shark in the western Caribbean.
Sleeping sharks get their name from their sluggish behaviour. Even in their usual deep-sea environment, they swim slowly and often spend little energy hunting or foraging for food. Catch their prey while they sleep. Perhaps the most famous sleeping shark is the Greenland shark as well It may be one of the longest-lived animals in the world, with a lifespan of up to 400 years.
Its natural environment is far from human activity and no attacks have been reported. Also, their bodies are usually toxic to humans.thanks to the modifications they made to survive in the depths, though the Icelanders figured out a way to eat them anyway, and Greenland salted shark meat is a local delicacy.
Researchers believe that due to the large size of the shark Greenland shark caught or hybrid offspring of Greenland shark and related species called Somniosus pacificus.
The vision occurred in April by investigators from Florida International University.
With the help of local fishermen, They were trying to tag tiger sharks in Glover Reefan atoll in Belize, when they bumped into something else: Small-eyed gray fish about 3 meters longpulled from the depths. When the beast appeared, It was moving very slowly and was very different from any other fish that the team has faced before.
“At first, I was sure it was something else, like a six-gill shark well known in deep sea reefs.”PhD candidate said Devanci Cassana, From the Financial Intelligence Unit’s Predatory Conservation and Environment Laboratory. “I knew it was unusual and so did the Hunters, who had never seen anything like this in all their years of hunting together.”
Due to the approaching storms and unwillingness to endanger the creature, The group quickly released the catch, but not before documenting it. After consulting with other experts, they soon believed that they had encountered a briefly sleeping shark. Their findings were published this month in Marine Biology.
While the discovery was certainly unusual because these sharks live in the Arctic, Scientists know they can migrate. This was not the only sighting of the species appearing in strange places. The creatures were seen in other regions of the Caribbean and the tropics.
however, This scene was particularly unusual, as the fishing gear was much closer to the shore. although Coral reef water reaches 2,900 metersThere is a reasonable source of cold temperatures available for these sharks to live comfortably.
However, the results suggest that this species may be distributed worldwide more than researchers originally thought.
Establishing the presence of sleeping sharks in this area is perhaps the first step in the protection of sleeping sharks at the regional level. We know a lot about their biology and ecology from the poles, but it will be interesting to see how that changes at low latitudes, where we still have a dearth of data,” Cassana said. NEWSWEEK. “In addition, it can help us understand whether the people of the region are the population of the region or, in fact, if they are individuals moving great distances from the poles to the equator. As a last resort, This could help guide the management of dormant sharks in the tropics.”
The team plans to continue studying deep-sea fish in Belize. And while they don’t necessarily expect to see a sleeping shark again, From now on, they’ll wear specialized tags to keep an eye on any potential samples they find, just in case.
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