The gender lifespan of the ghost shark is one of those phrases that will right away get anyone ’s attention . Now that we have , we should credibly excuse what a spook shark actually is .
As you might have guessed , it is not a literal ghost – and rather deceptively , it ’s not technically a shark either . Known primarily as chimaeras , they have also been name rat Pisces , pseudo - spookfish , and cony Pisces the Fishes . That ’s veracious : they ’re not coney nor rat . It would be most accurate to describe them as most closely concern to sharks , but their lineage part from their teethy brethren 400 million years ago .
Today , they live in the deepest of waters , defend themselves with venomous spines , notice their target using electric currents , and apply their three pairs of massive grinding tooth plates to chow down on whatever fishy food for thought they can get their proverbial hired hand on . As report by a late study in theJournal of Fish Biology , they also have very unknown sex lives .
A team led by the Victoria University of Wellington managed to get their workforce on a good number ofChimaera carophilaandHydrolagus homonycterisghost shark that had been accidentally entrance by sportfishing trawlers over the last two years . enamor between 400 and 1,300 meter ( 1,312 and 4,265 feet ) , the team note that it ’s very rare that they ’re distinguish at depth that “ shallow ” .
The team decided to scientifically observe and dig into them , and establish out that the fact that they have retractable intimate organs on their headspring was n’t the oddest matter about them .
A rare sighting of a spook shark caught on photographic camera . CNNvia YouTube
According to the squad , the relatively lengthier female have in - build sperm reposition banks . The conditions within are so genial to sperm that they can happily drown around in there for at least three twelvemonth and still stay on viable . As mates are hard to come across in the deep and dark pelagic deepness , this method acting of sperm cell reposition may be vital for their coinage ’ selection .
Yes , okay – that retractable sex electric organ affair has piqued your interest has n’t it ? harmonize toNational Geographic , the male person ’s sex perch has hook shot on it , which grab onto the female person ’s fins and pelvis . The lead author of the new study draw mating as “ not … very pleasant ” for the latter partners .
The team were also concerned in the specter fishes ’ dieting , but in society to incur this out , they had to do something rather arrant .
“ intestine were remove and dissected . Contents of gut were rinsed with water into a Petri dish . ” they write in their study . “ A fragmented fair game reckoning was found on the number of eyes , heads , mouth function , tails … or other anatomical parts traceable to a individual specimen . ”
It turns out they have a penchant for barnacles . The more you hump , right ?
[ H / T : National Geographic ]
