A photo uploaded to Facebook of a strange shark caught in the deep waters of South Australia has generated thousands of responses from surprised social network users. The shark, when caught, showed a scary smile with tiny, sharp teeth and amazing bulging eyes.
The fisherman, named Trapman Bermagui, shared the shocking image and confirmed that the fish was caught at a depth of 650m.
Bermagui said USE TODAY that deep-sea sharks are common off the southeast coast of Australia, normally in water deeper than 600 meters.
One user claimed it was a shark called a cookie cutter, but the fisherman pointed to his knowledge and replied that he was wrong: “It’s definitely not a cookie cutter. It is a rough-skinned shark, also known as a species of effort dog shark. These sharks are common at depths greater than 600 meters,” he told Newsweek.
Dean Grubbs, associate director of research at Florida State University’s Coastal and Marine Laboratory, said the discovery shocked many. He explained that he has his opinion on this animal and that it is by no means unknown: “In my deep sea searches, we have caught many of them in the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas,” he said.
Furthermore, he reported that it is a sleeper shark: “Ours come from depths between 740 and 1,160 meters, so they are a little deeper than this report. They belong to the family Somniosidae, the sleeper sharks, the same family as the Greenland shark, but obviously with smaller species.”
This shark can grow up to 1.2 meters long and can only be seen in the depths.
Source: Clarin
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.