A new study has found that three species of sharks have an unusual ability: they are bioluminescent. They are in fact able to "shine"
They probably shine to blend in and protect themselves from attacks from other predators. A new study has found that three species of sharks have an unusual ability: they are bioluminescent. They are in fact able to "shine" in the dark depths of the sea.
The authors of the discovery published in Frontiers in Marine Science are scientists from the marine biology laboratory of the Université catholique de Louvain in Belgium and those of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) in Wellington, New Zealand. Three species of glow-in-the-dark sharks have been spotted just off the coast of New Zealand. One of them turned out to be the largest "bright" vertebrate known so far.
Bioluminescence - the production of visible light through a chemical reaction by living organisms - is a widespread phenomenon among the inhabitants of the sea but this is the first time that it has been documented and analyzed in three species of sharks: the shagreen shark (Dalatias despite), lo black woolly shark or lucifer shark (Etmopterus lucifer) from the southern squalor lantern (Etmopterus granulosus).
“This living light, also called cold light, occurs through a biochemical reaction; the oxidation of a substrate, luciferin, by an enzyme, luciferase, or through a stabilized complex called a photoprotein, ”the scientists explain.
The sharks were spotted during a Chatham Rise fish survey off the east coast of New Zealand in January 2020. shagreen shark, can reach 180 cm, is now the largest known luminous vertebrate: what researchers have called a "giant luminous shark".
©Frontiers in Marine Science
According to the authors of the research, the findings will have important repercussions on our understanding of life in the deep sea. It is in fact one of the least known and least studied ecosystems on Earth. The sharks all live in what is known as the mesopelagic or "crepuscular" zone of the ocean, between 200-1000 meters deep, beyond which sunlight does not penetrate.
Seen from below, they appear backlit against the clear water surface, leaving them exposed to potential predators with nowhere to hide. Researchers suggest that the glowing underbelly of these three species can help camouflage them, hiding them from predators that may come from below. It is also possible that they use natural glow to illuminate the ocean floor as they search for food.
Further studies will be needed to confirm both hypoests. The fact remains that the production of light in depth will certainly play a fundamental role for the marine ecosystem and its inhabitants.
Sources of reference: Nature, TheGuardian
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