Scientists have discovered 3 deep-sea shark species that glow in the dark and one of them is the largest-known luminous vertebrate.
The sharks were spotted during a survey of the Chatham Rise off the east coast of New Zealand, Times Now News reports citing The Guardian.
The survey, conducted by the R V Tangaroa, uncovered 3 species - the kitefin shark, the black belly lantern shark, and the southern lantern shark.
The kitefin has now been declared as the largest-known luminous vertebrate, something that the scientists referred to as a 'giant luminous shark.'
White the kitefin was estimated to grow up to 1.8 metres long, the other two species are relatively smaller.
Deep-sea biologist, Dr Diva Amon, shared some pictures of the shark on Twitter. "Last week, in the dark depths of New Zealand, 3 species of #deepsea #shark, were discovered to bioluminescent, incl. the kitefin shark, which is now the largest-known luminous vertebrate!" she wrote.
The researchers said the findings will have a significant impact on the understanding of life in the deep sea. Their work has already been published in the Frontiers in the Marine Science journal.
The study said all 3 species of sharks lived in what is known as the mesopelagic or “twilight” zone of the ocean. It is between 200 metres and 1,000 metres deep.
The study further noted that the glowing underbellies of the 3 sharks may be a camouflage for the species against any threat.
The species were already known to marine biologists but this was the first time that they were found to emit light, or have bioluminescence.
