A Half-Blind Shark Is Living In A Coral Reef In Belize Instead Of The Arctic. New Study Explains The Bizarre Behaviour

The half-blind shark recently turned up in an unexpected place, marking the first time a shark of its kind has been found in western Caribbean waters off the second longest barrier reef in the world.

Scientists have noticed a bizarre behaviour in a half-blind shark. The shark species, typically thought to live in freezing Arctic waters, scavenges on polar bear carcasses and survives for hundreds of years. 

However, the half-blind shark recently turned up in an unexpected place, a coral reef off Belize, marking the first time a shark of its kind has been found in western Caribbean waters off the second longest barrier reef in the world.

The study describing the findings was recently published in the journal Marine Biology.

The Creature’s Appearance

A researcher from Florida International University made the discovery while she was working with local Belizean fishermen to tag tiger sharks. The team discovered a sluggish creature that looked ancient, and like an elongated, smooth stone that had sprung to life.

According to a statement released by Florida International University, the creature had a blunt snout and small pale bluish coloured eyes. On the basis of the clues, the scientists speculated that the creature was a member of the sleeper shark family. 

Devanshi Kasana, the researcher who made the discovery, said at first, she was sure it was something else, like a six-gill shark that is well known from deep waters off coral reefs. She added that she knew it was something unusual and so did the fishers, who had never seen anything quite like it in all their combined years of fishing.

According to the statement, Kasana shared the news of her discovery with Demian Chapman, her PhD advisor, and sent along a photo of the shark. Chapman said that the shark was not a six gill, and that it looked a lot like a Greenland shark, with the scientific name Somniosus microcephalus.

After consulting with several experts, it was determined that the creature was definitely in the sleeper shark family. Due to the large size of the creature, it was determined that it was most likely a Greenland shark or a hybrid between the Greenland shark and Pacific sleeper shark (Somniosus pacificus).

What Is So Special About Greenland Sharks?

Greenland sharks are a slow-moving species tend to be seen in the frigid waters of the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans, and are slow growing. They have been estimated to live for more than 400 years, implying that a slow life may benefit them. Greenland sharks have earned the special designation of the longest-living vertebrate known to science.

There is a possibility that the species is living in the depths of the ocean all across the world. They may even be living in tropics at greater depths, where low temperatures are prevalent.

According to Florida International University, the waters where the shark was discovered certainly get deep. Glover's Reef Atoll is a part of the Glover's Reef Marine Reserve World Heritage Site, which is a marine protected area. 

Glover's Reef Atoll is located on a limestone platform, where a lagoon is surrounded by a coral reef. There is a steep slope along the edges of the atoll. The slope drops from 1,600 feet to 9,500 feet deep. This means there is cold water needed for a Greenland shark to thrive, according to Florida International University.