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of the many types of sharks, deep sea sharks are definitely the most striking! Because deep in the darkest parts of the oceans, at unimaginable depths, some of the most unusual and primitive sharks in the world. Many of these sharks live so deep that they are rarely seen and barely studied, and it’s very possible that there are more that have not yet been discovered. Sharks that live below a depth of 300 meters are considered deep-sea sharks, but even that is considered shallow for some of these fascinating creatures.
Join us as we dive deeper than ever before to discover the deep sea sharks!
10. Stompnose Sixgill Shark
Also known as cow sharks, blunt sixgill sharks are primitive sharks that look more like extinct sharks than living ones. Their snout is broad and blunt and they are tan, brown or black and can reach 20 feet in length. Stub-nosed sixgill sharks are particularly unusual in that they have six pairs of gill slits instead of the more common five. Bluntnose sixgill sharks live in the Atlantic Ocean, Indonesian, and Pacific oceans near the ocean floor. They are deep-sea sharks and live in depths between 590 and 3600 feet, but their range can sometimes reach up to about 8000 feet. Stub-nosed sixgill sharks have a very varied diet and undergo daily vertical migration. This is where they swim closer to the ocean’s surface at night (usually about 984 ft) to feed, then swim back to their maximum depth on the ocean floor for the day.
9. Goblin Shark
goblin sharks are often called “living fossils” because they are the only living member of the family group Mitsukurinidae which is many millions of years old. They have a very long, flat snout and protruding jaws that can reach to the end of their snout when feeding. Their unusual appearance has earned them their name due to the resemblance to a goblin. Goblin sharks are usually between 10 and 13 feet in length and live in all major oceans. They live on the upper continental slope between 900 and 3150 feet, although they can go up to 4300 feet. A goblin shark tooth was even found in a submarine cable that had been at 4,490 feet. Goblin sharks are slow swimmers and are ambush predators, feeding on calamari and fish like rat tails.
8. Greenland shark
Some of the most incredible sharks out there are Greenland sharks – not only can they survive at unimaginable depths, but they have the longest lifespan of all sharks – estimated at between 250 and 500 years. They are large sharks and regularly grow to about 21 feet in length. Their snouts are short and round and they have relatively small dorsal and pectoral fins for their size. Greenland sharks live in the Arctic and subarctic waters of the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans and generally live in some of the deepest parts of the ocean. Greenland sharks were spotted at 7,200 feet by a submarine carrying the wreckage of the SS Central America. Most Greenland sharks migrate every year, but their migration is based on depth. They migrate to the shallows in the winter and then return to great depths for the summer.
7. Curly Shark
Another unusual deep-sea shark considered a living fossil is the curly shark. Curly sharks get their name from their gill slits which have a fringed appearance. Curly sharks have eel-like bodies, are dark brown and grow to 6.6 feet in length. They eat a variety of smaller ones sharks, bony fish, calamari, and Octopus and hunt by lunging for their prey and swallowing it whole. Curly sharks live above the upper continental slope in the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific oceans in water up to 3900 feet deep. However, they are often caught as bycatch and have been caught in water as deep as 5150 feet.
6. Cookie Cutter Shark
Cookie cutter sharks are some of the smallest sharks out there and are only between 16 and 22 inches in length. They are dark brown but have photophores on the underside, organs that appear as luminous spots. Cookiecutters live worldwide in warm water at depths of up to 12,100 feet. They spend their days at 3200 feet and below and then rise to shallower depths at night, although they generally stay below 280 feet. Cookiecutter sharks make deep, round holes in their prey when they bite them. This allows them to hunt animals much larger than themselves. Many marine mammals have cut-out scars and wounds. In fact, many times they have damaged submarines by biting them, damaging the sides and the sonar cable.
5. Swell shark
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figcaption>Swelling sharks can double in size by swallowing waterSome of the most unique sharks are easy swell sharks. Swell sharks are a type of cat shark that lives in the Pacific, between California and southern Mexico. Wave sharks can be found up to 1,500 feet and inhabit rocky bottoms where they can hide in rock crevices all day long. They are not particularly large, only reaching a maximum of 43 inches, but they have a fascinating defense mechanism. Swelling sharks grab their tails in their mouths when they feel threatened and suck up water. When they suck in water, their stomachs expand, making them about twice the size of normal and much harder for a predator to attack.
4. Kitefin shark
Another luminescent shark is the kitefin shark. Kitefin sharks live in different populations around the world in tropical and subtropical waters close to the sea floor. They are usually found between 660 and 2,000 feet, but some have been captured as deep as 5,900 feet. Kitefin sharks have very short, round snouts and their average length is about four feet. Kitefin sharks, like cookiecutter sharks, have the ability to extract huge chunks from much larger animals, including whales. They prey on a wide variety of animals, including smaller ones sharks, to skate, and bony fish.
3. Ninja Lantern Shark
A new species of deep-sea shark that was only discovered in 2010 is the ninja lantern shark. Ninja lantern sharks are found along the continental slope in the east Pacific and their depth ranges from 2,740 to 4,735 feet. They are extremely small sharks and do not grow more than 20 centimeters in length. Ninja lantern sharks are black and have white markings around their mouths. They are also luminous, which acts as camouflage and attracts prey. When feeding in shallower water, their luminous abdomens look similar to sunlight filtering down from above, camouflaging them from potential predators below. However, when they are in the deepest depths of the ocean, their luminous appearance attracts smaller prey to them.
2. Portuguese Spiny Shark
Portuguese dogfish are the deepest of all deep-sea sharks and have been found at an incredible 12,057 feet. They have a wide range around the world, but are most common near the bottom of the deepest oceans. being a Portuguese dogfish sleeper sharks and are usually about 3 feet tall. They are dark brown and have round, flattened snouts and small spines in front of their dorsal fin. Portuguese dogfish mainly eat cephalopods and bony fish and occasionally prey on others sharks.
1. Megamouth Shark
megamouth sharks live so deep that they are rarely seen by humans and less than a hundred have been seen since the species was first discovered in 1976. Such as to enjoy and whale sharkmegamouth sharks are filter feeders and mainly eat plankton. As their name suggests, megamouth sharks have enormously wide mouths filled with small teeth. Megamouths are brownish black on top and white on the underside and can reach 18 feet in length. They are quite widespread around the world and live up to 3280 feet deep. Like many other deep-sea creatures, they spend their days in the deepest depths and come closer to the surface at night to feed.
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