Could the apex predator be turning cannibal?
Scientists Make Terrifying Discovery After Seeing Great White Eating Rival Shark For First Time Ever
Scientists have recently uncovered some concerning behavior in Great White sharks.
They have indicated that these apex predators might be engaging in cannibalism and attacking members of their own species.
Known for being formidable hunters in the ocean, Great White sharks have a reputation for preying on humans and various marine creatures.
However recent studies suggest that they are also targeting other shark species.
This conclusion came after marine scientists examined a pregnant female porbeagle shark found in the Bermuda Triangle.
The shark had injuries that clearly pointed to an attack by another shark.
This finding has been recognized as particularly significant by Dr. Brooke Anderson from Arizona State University.
Speaking to the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, she noted, "This is the first documented predation event of a porbeagle shark anywhere in the world."
However, this incident is more than just a display of aggression from the Great Whites.
It's especially troubling because porbeagle sharks are an endangered species.
Dr. Anderson elaborated on the implications of this event, stating:
"In one event, the population not only lost a reproductive female that could contribute to population growth, but it also lost all her developing babies."
Porbeagle sharks typically begin reproducing at about 13 years of age and generally have around four pups every one to two years.
With such a slow reproductive rate, the species struggles to recover from decreases in its population caused by predators, recreational fishing, bycatch, and habitat destruction.
Dr. Anderson expressed concern that if such predation is more common than previously believed, it could have serious repercussions for the already vulnerable porbeagle shark population, which has historically suffered from overfishing.
To better understand the migration patterns of porbeagle sharks, Dr. Anderson and her team have been capturing and fitting these sharks with satellite tags that track their movements before releasing them back into the ocean.
One of the tagged sharks, a pregnant porbeagle, provided data that suggested she had been attacked and consumed by a large predator, with her tracker eventually surfacing in the ocean.
Dr. Anderson described the predation of the pregnant porbeagle as an unexpected and alarming discovery.
She added that the responsible predator was likely either a Great White or a Shortfin mako shark.
"We need to continue studying predator interactions, to estimate how often large sharks hunt each other," Dr. Anderson emphasized.
She believes this research is crucial for understanding the broader impacts such interactions might have on the ecosystem.