If more evidence of the great unexplored miracles of the deep sea were needed, it would fit the bill: researchers in New Zealand have discovered three new shark species that glow in the dark.
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, explains how the kitefin shark, the black-bellied shark and the southern lantern shark were found in January 2020 during a survey outside the Chatham Rise, an oceanic area off New Zealand’s east coast. .
Among the three glowing sharks, the kitefin shark is now the largest known underwater animal. The shark usually occurs 300 meters (984 feet) below sea level and prey on smaller sharks, minced fish and crustaceans.
Although light emissions have previously been documented in a range of aquatic life, including jellyfish and squid, the discovery is the first time that scientists have proven that bioluminescence can be found in sharks.
The study refers to the kitefin as a ‘giant bright shark’, and it can grow up to 1.8 meters long (almost 6 feet). But it comes a long way from the 25-foot great white shark that appears in Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws.”
Led by marine biologists in Belgium and New Zealand, the study could change the way we view life in the deep sea.
“Bioluminescence has often been seen as a spectacular but unusual event at sea, but given the vastness of the deep sea and the presence of light organisms in this zone, it is now more and more obvious that the production of light on depth should play an important role in structuring the largest ecosystem on our planet, ”said the study, which was published on February 26.
The three new shark species all live in the so-called “twilight zone”, which is called between 200 and 1000 meters (3,200 feet) below sea level, within which sunlight does not penetrate and is too weak to start photosynthesis.
The sharks face without shelter, and appear against the clear surface of the water, and researchers suggest that the sharks need the blue glowing camouflage to repel potential predators and catch prey for survival.
Further research is needed to determine why the kitefin shark is glowing, as the species has few or no predators, unlike the other two species recorded, the study reads. Scientists speculate that the slow-moving shark uses its natural glow to illuminate the seabed while hunting for food, or to disguise itself as it approaches prey.