Scientists have managed to capture the first ever footage of a roughskin dogfish. Photos and video
Researchers have captured the world's first footage of a roughskin dogfish in the depths of the Caribbean Sea. Previously, this species was known only through accidentally caught dead specimens.
During the expedition off Little Cayman, the team of experts used a deep-bait remote underwater video system (dBRUVS) to learn more about the creatures living in the area. The device with the bait, which was deployed at a depth of 1054 meters, recorded a roughskin dogfish (Centroscymnus owstonii), IflScience writes.
Scientists emphasize that this is the first-ever record of a roughskin dogfish in the Greater Antilles in the central Caribbean.
These small dogfish are about 120 centimeters long.
Source: Screenshot
The roughskin "dogfish," which refers to tiny sharks, was originally found in the Japanese islands, but the species is distributed in deep-sea communities throughout the western and eastern Indian Ocean, as well as the south-central Atlantic and South Pacific, the researchers said.
Biologists note that much of the ecological knowledge about this fish comes from specimens that have been accidentally caught by fishermen. Researchers have never been able to observe a live specimen of dogfish in their natural habitat.
Until now, scientists have only studied dead specimens of these small sharks.
Source: researchgate.net
In the new recording, the team of experts first saw one fish, and then managed to capture two more "dogs". In total, the small shark swam in front of the camera 54 times, so they managed to record an 11-minute video. This will allow biologists to learn more about this mysterious species.
"This study emphasizes that dBRUVS can be a very useful tool for deep-sea exploration and biodiversity research. It will successfully complement our knowledge base on the biology of deep-sea shark species," the authors of the study emphasized.
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