Deep-sea scientists near the Tonga Trench in the southwestern Pacific Ocean got a glimpse inside a Pacific sleeper shark’s mouth on a recent expedition.
The researchers used a baited underwater camera to capture the fascinating footage of the Pacific sleeper shark (Somniosus pacificus) at a depth of 1,400m where the water was around 2.5 degrees Celsius.
“She goes straight for the camera – from this view we can see completely inside the shark’s mouth,” says oceanographer Jessica Kolbusz in the video. "Not too long after that, she realises it doesn’t taste very good and goes for the bait.”
“This deep-sea shark wants to make sure it doesn’t miss out on anything that could possibly be a meal,” says OceanX who also shared the video on Instagram.
“Perfectly adapted to survive the pressure and temperature, Pacific sleeper sharks feed on a variety of marine life – fish, squid, octopus, crabs and prawns,” says Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre at The University of Western Australia (Deep-Sea UWA) on Instagram.
“Their average mature size is around 3.6 metres, which is what we estimate this beauty to be.”
Video and image credits: The Tonga Trench Expedition led by Professor Alan Jamieson with researchers from the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre at The University of Western Australia, Kelpie Geoscience and Inkfish.
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