Sleeper Shark Tries to Eat Deep-Sea Camera

A sleeper shark is seen appearing from darkness and attempting to eat a deep-sea camera in incredible footage.

Researchers captured a full view of the inside of the mouth of this little-known deep-sea predator.

According to a report by IFL Science, researchers at the Minderoo UWA Deep-Sea Research Center filmed the Pacific sleeper shark in the southwestern Pacific Ocean near the Tonga Trench back in September.

Researchers used a camera trap baited with fish in an attempt and placed it at a depth of 4,593 feet (1,400 meters) to discover more about the sleeper sharks that reside in this area.

As the camera lands on the ocean bed, an adult Pacific sleeper shark suddenly emerges from the cold, dark depths of the ocean and attempts to eat the research team’s camera.

Fortunately, the shark eventually releases the camera from its jaws and eats the bait fish instead.

The research team at Minderoo UWA Deep-Sea Research Center estimates this sleeper shark to be 11.8 feet (3.6 meters) long, according to an Instagram caption.

These deep-sea predators feed on a variety of marine life, including fish, squid, octopus, prawn, and crabs.

In a voice-over on the Instagram video, Dr. Jessica Kolbusz, a Research Fellow at UWA in the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, explains that the water temperature is around 36.5°F (2.5°C), as these sharks thrive in cooler waters.

Little is known about these slow-moving, cold-water sharks, including how many exist, the extent of their range and movements, or where they reproduce.

Most observations have come from specimens as unwanted bycatch on commercial fishing vessels so this footage offers rare insight into the Pacific sleeper shark.

Furthermore, large as they are, the Pacific sleeper sharks encountered by ships have nearly all been juveniles. Adult Pacific sleeper sharks are rarely encountered, in the way it has in this video.

But, according to NOAA Fisheries, the species appears to be in decline off the U.S., prompting conservation concerns. This is due to its lack of commercial value, deep habitats, and the difficulty involved in safely landing and handling large sharks aboard fishing vessels.