A photo depicting daylight view as well as the luminescence pattern of the sharks
In a recent scientific discovery, three species of sharks have been found to have the property of bioluminescence in the waters of New Zealand, reports The Weather Channel.
Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism. This is a very commonly found property among microorganisms, especially with different kinds of plankton and even some other creatures in water bodies. However, this is the first instance of such a phenomenon observed with sharks.
The three species in the spotlight are the kitefin shark, the black belly lantern shark, and the southern lantern shark. The scientists made this discovery while investigating the east coast of New Zealand in January 2020. The study was led by a team of scientists from the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in New Zealand.
Most of these sharks have been known to live in the mesopelagic zone, or the Twilight zone of oceans and seas, which is devoid of any sunlight for the most part. This zone is located approximately 200 to 1000 metres below the surface of water bodies. About 60 percent of life forms inhabiting this area are found to be bioluminescent.
“Bioluminescence has often been seen as a spectacular yet uncommon event at sea, but considering the vastness of the deep sea and the occurrence of luminous organisms in this zone, it is now more and more obvious that producing light at depth must play an important role in structuring the biggest ecosystem on our planet” reads the research paper.
According to the study, the underbellies of the three species “glow in the dark” and illuminate the ocean floor beneath them, possibly to look for food, while also keeping predators at bay.
Scientists believe the kitefin—whom they refer to as the giant luminous shark—may now be the largest known luminous vertebrate to exist on Earth. Its kind resides at an oceanic depth of 300m. They exhibit the bioluminescent property through their belly, sides, and dorsal fins. The scientific name for the kitefin is Dalatias licha.
