As if sharks weren’t menacing enough, these ones glow.
The American pocket shark, a new species discovered in the Gulf of Mexico, lures in prey by glowing in the dark.
But scientists at Tulane University assure the phenomenon is less scary than it sounds. The American pocket shark measures only 5.5-inches long, and only two have been seen in history, according to a study.
The American pocket shark is similar to another rare species, the kitefish shark, but is a “separate species, each from separate oceans. Both are exceedingly rare,” researcher Mark Grace said.
Ocean creatures that use bioluminescence isn’t rare and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) believes that about 90 percent of animals that live in open water are bioluminescent. However there has been little research on deep sea creatures.
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