The bizarre pig-faced shark was discovered by sailors on a naval ship in the waters off Portoferraio, Elba Island, Italy, at the end of August.
A strangely shaped shark with a pig-like face was discovered by sailors on a naval vessel in the waters near Portoferraio, Elba Island, Italy, at the end of August.
This shark belongs to the Angular species, sometimes referred to as the pig-faced shark.
It is also listed in the Red Book as an endangered species. They are rarely spotted as they typically inhabit depths of around 700 meters.
The bizarre pig-faced shark.
When images of the Angular shark were shared online, they caused quite a stir among netizens. Many speculated that the shark had been intentionally caught and killed.
After being brought to the surface, the rare shark was taken to the port office for research. Yuri Tiberto, an employee at the Elba Aquarium, shared with the media that this shark is very rare, but it is not the first time anyone has seen it. The shark is commonly referred to as the pig shark because when it emerges from the water, it emits a sound resembling a “grumble.”
Angular Shark.
The Angular shark is commonly found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Norway to South Africa, including the entire Mediterranean Sea. They can also appear in the waters off Mozambique.
At birth, Angular sharks measure about 25 cm in length. Their typical adult size is nearly 1 meter. However, some Angular sharks can reach lengths of around 1.5 meters.
Angular Shark (Oxynotus centrina) inhabits the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Norway to South Africa and the Mediterranean Sea. They primarily feed on fish, crustaceans, mollusks, sea worms, and shark eggs, according to Live Science. Unlike large, robust predators like great whites or hammerheads, this unusual shark has a flattened head, large eyes, and a pink snout. Angular sharks are about one meter long with a chubby gray-brown body and two large dorsal fins resembling sails. They appear triangular when viewed from the front. Like all sharks, their skin is covered in dermal denticles, flat V-shaped structures resembling teeth that comprise flesh, dentin, and enamel. While all sharks have dermal denticles, those of the Angular shark are particularly large and prominent, giving them a rough appearance. Scientists are still unsure why this is the case, but it may help protect them from larger predators. Combined with their fuzzy-looking face, Angular sharks also possess a short, broad snout with oversized nostrils. These peculiar features relate to their lifestyle. They spend much of their time swimming just above the seafloor in search of food. They typically move slowly and suck in prey. Angular sharks have knife-like lower teeth for slicing meat, as well as conical upper teeth for piercing slippery prey. Recent studies indicate that Angular sharks also eat the eggs of other shark species. In 2015, scientists discovered that captive Angular sharks specialized in eating eggs of the carpet shark. Although this shark species has little commercial value, their large dorsal fins and spines make them prone to getting caught in fishermen’s nets; they are also listed as vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. |
