Pregnant porbeagle shark eaten by larger predator off Bermuda
This is the first recorded instance of its kind in the world. Scientists tracking the pregnancies of porbeagle sharks have found evidence that one of these sharks was eaten by an even larger predator, according to NBC News, which cites a publication from the journal "Frontiers in Marine Science".
10:18 AM EDT, September 7, 2024
Researchers were astonished when they discovered the death of a pregnant porbeagle shark near Bermuda, the report states. Initial findings revealed that the shark, equipped with a tracking device, was eaten by a larger shark. This is the first documented case of its kind.
The first such case
"This is the first documented case of a porbeagle shark being hunted anywhere in the world," explained Dr. Brooke Anderson, the lead author of the study and the investigation into the mysterious death of the shark near Bermuda. The researcher highlights two key issues identified during the investigation of the porbeagle shark's fate.
Anderson notes that the population of this species has lost a reproductive female who was pregnant and could have soon given birth to more porbeagle sharks. More importantly, if predation and hunting of this species are more common than previously thought, it could have significant ecological impacts.
Consequences for the porbeagle shark population
"This can have serious consequences for the porbeagle shark population, which is already suffering due to overfishing," adds the researcher. Issues with the population of these sharks are particularly concerning because they have a slow reproductive cycle. Anderson explains that porbeagle sharks give birth to an average of four young every 1-2 years. Due to the declining population, the species has been listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as endangered (in the northwest Atlantic) and critically endangered for populations in the northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea.
The porbeagle shark eaten by another shark was observed by scientists using special satellite transmitters. Researchers placed these devices on sharks off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts in 2020 and 2022, and they have since been able to continuously monitor the locations of these endangered species. The monitoring devices record the exact location, depth, and water temperature of the sharks.
Porbeagle sharks can reach a length of 12 feet and weigh up to 507 pounds. Anderson explains that they have a long lifespan, living up to 30, and sometimes even 65, years. Female porbeagle sharks reproduce only when they approach 13 years of age.
