Scientists from New Zealand have discovered new deepwater shark species that glow in the dark: the kitefin shark, the blackbelly lanternshark, and the southern lanternshark.
All three species were found at the Chatham Rise, off the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island, in January last year.
Mallefet, Stevens, and Duchatelet
The kitefin shark is the largest luminous vertebrate and can reach up to 180cm. Bioluminescence was also confirmed in the blackbelly lanternshark and southern lanternshark.
Although all three species of sharks were known to marine biologists, the phenomenon of bioluminescence (organisms emitting light) has been identified in them recently.
Jerome Mallefet
Biologists predict the bioluminescence or the emission of the light may help them hide from predators or other threats beneath them.
Scientists from the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in New Zealand explains the importance of bioluminescence for marine creatures in their study–––
“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 structuring the biggest ecosystem on our planet.“
Dr. Jerome Mallefet pictured with a bioluminescent shark, at Niwa’s Wellington laboratory Via Bex Parsons-King
The researchers have also told the website ‘Stuff‘ that 57 out of 540 known shark species produce bioluminescent light. “They are glowing in the dark. They are not producing flashes. They are glowing for a long time.”
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