Researchers lowered a dead cow into the deep South China Sea and recorded unusual footage of Pacific sleeper sharks eating it. BBC
Scientists lowered a cow carcass 1,629 meters into the South China Sea. They wanted to study how large animals feed in deep-sea environments. A camera was placed beside the carcass to capture any activity.
Rare Shark Appears in Unexpected Waters
What happened next shocked researchers. Several Pacific sleeper sharks, usually found in the cold waters of the North Pacific, showed up to feed. These sharks are known to live in places like the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. Spotting them in the much warmer South China Sea shows their range may be bigger than scientists thought.
Feeding Frenzy Caught on Camera
The footage showed a mix of large and small sharks. The bigger sharks—over 2.7 meters long—aggressively tore into the cow. Smaller ones kept circling the carcass, waiting their turn. Researchers noticed an odd behavior: sharks approaching from behind got priority to feed. This surprising “queue-like” behavior may be a way to avoid conflict and ensure survival in groups.
Eye Movements Reveal Feeding Strategy
Pacific sleeper sharks don’t have a protective eyelid. But during feeding, the scientists saw their eyes move inward, almost pulling back into their heads. This could be a defense reflex to protect their eyes while biting into prey.
Could the Deep Sea Be a Shark Nursery?
Every shark caught on film was female. Scientists say other deep-sea sharks, like the megamouth shark, also show more females in this area. That raises an exciting theory: this part of the South China Sea might be a nursery ground for some shark species.
What It Means for Ocean Life
The sharks’ aggressive feeding behavior suggests that there’s still plenty of food in the deep waters of this region. That challenges the idea that deep-sea areas are always low in resources. But scientists still don’t know what food sources these sharks depend on regularly.
A New Chapter in Shark Research
This study opens the door to more discoveries. If Pacific sleeper sharks are thriving here, what else might live in these dark, unexplored parts of the ocean? The team plans to study further to learn how these sharks survive and why this area attracts them.
