Found the largest glowing shark with a length of 1.8 m

The size of the shark reaches 180 centimeters. For the first time, scientists have recorded glow in such large vertebrates.

Before this, scientists believed that bioluminescence was characteristic only of its small counterparts, which are a maximum of 42 centimeters in length.

Scientists have recorded bioluminescence for the first time in a black shark that lives in the deep sea off the coast of New Zealand.

All three species live in the so-calledmesopelagic, or “twilight” zone of the ocean at depths from 200 to 1000 meters. Only 1% of light from the surface reaches the upper boundaries of the zone, and then it completely disappears.

You won’t be able to observe their glow from above, sohow it comes from the peritoneal area. The authors cannot yet explain what function the glow performs in a black shark. Most often, bioluminescence is needed to scare away predators, but Dalatias licha has no natural enemies.

While predators are supposed to have their lightused to camouflage and search for food at the bottom, however, marine biologists hope to find out the exact purpose of this ability in the course of further research.

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