Tracking tags on porbeagle sharks provide the first ever evidence of a bigger shark consuming that species.
Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsSometimes, it’s a shark-eat-shark world. Documented cases of larger sharks dining on smaller ones are relatively rare. Scientists have now found the first evidence of aPorbeagles live in the Atlantic Ocean, the South Pacific Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. They grow to around 12 feet and weigh up to about 500 pounds.
The pregnant porbeagle’s fin-mounted tag began transmitting off Bermuda 158 days after her release. This implied that the tag had fallen off the shark and was floating on the ocean. Prior to that, it only broke the surface once. The other tag had sent a steady stream of data showing the shark was spending most of her time 200 feet to 300 feet underwater at night and much deeper during the day, experiencing water temperatures ranging from about 43 degrees Fahrenheit to 74 degrees Fahrenheit.
“I think this was likely an opportunistic event,” says Anderson. “Keep in mind that the predation occurred about 300 meters deep in the open ocean, where high-value prey may be sporadic to find. In this scenario, a large pregnant porbeagle shark would be a lot of bang for your buck in terms of a meal.”Advances in Satellite Tagging and Shark Research
Even though this particular event marks a first in recorded shark predation, Anderson would not be surprised if more examples emerge in the coming years.
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