OceanX | RARE Bramble Shark Discovered in the UAE @OceanX | Uploaded February 2024 | Updated October 2024, 1 day ago.
An endangered bramble shark has been spotted for the first time ever in United Arab Emirates waters during our December 2023 expedition in collaboration with @nyuad.marinebiology and in partnership with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD).
All sharks are covered in thousands of microscopic, tooth-shaped scales, made of the same material as human teeth. They’re called dermal denticles which help reduce drag as the sharks swim through the water and act as a protective barrier. But the deep-sea Bramble shark takes it to the next level—its body is studded with big whitish thorns that start growing right after the shark is born.
It’s a slow-moving bottom dweller, that mostly lives between 200 and 1200 meters deep, this one was spotted at a depth of about 850 meters. Scientists think it can grow to about 4 meters, and live for around 25 years.
An endangered bramble shark has been spotted for the first time ever in United Arab Emirates waters during our December 2023 expedition in collaboration with @nyuad.marinebiology and in partnership with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD).
All sharks are covered in thousands of microscopic, tooth-shaped scales, made of the same material as human teeth. They’re called dermal denticles which help reduce drag as the sharks swim through the water and act as a protective barrier. But the deep-sea Bramble shark takes it to the next level—its body is studded with big whitish thorns that start growing right after the shark is born.
It’s a slow-moving bottom dweller, that mostly lives between 200 and 1200 meters deep, this one was spotted at a depth of about 850 meters. Scientists think it can grow to about 4 meters, and live for around 25 years.
