Two naval officers spotted that something was floating in the waters of the island of Elba, Italy. When they approached the boat they immediately pulled it out and were surprised to find that it was a pig-faced shark.
The sailors of the Darsena Medicea marina in the city of Portoferraio, met with a striking species of shark.
But they quickly dispelled all sorts of doubts about the shark by being identified as one extremely rare angular rough shark (Oxynotus centrina).
pig shark
The shark is also sometimes known as a pig-faced shark than usual lives 700 meters below the surface.
The angular rough shark or pig tuberón lives in the depths of the sea, to about 700 meters.
The creature is also on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as endangered, Which implies that its appearance is very rare.
Although the find happened three weeks ago, its discovery went viral when photos of the strange-looking sea animal were posted on social media.
What happened to the shark
The post immediately attracted hundreds of comments, including criticism from those they thought the shark had been deliberately captured and killed.
After removing it from the water, the angular rough shark was taken to the Port Office to be studied and finally removed, it spreads. Mirror.
The strange shark caught the attention of the boat’s officers.
Yuri Tiberto, of the Elba Aquarium, confirmed to local media that it is not so uncommon to see it locally. And he explained that “it’s commonly called‘ pig fish ’because, beyond its face, when it comes out of the water it emits a kind of growl“.
“In the sea of the Tuscan archipelago, so rich in biodiversity … it is not uncommon to find this fish. And I can say with certainty that I have often received reports that tell me about ‘pig fish’ that have ended up in local fishing nets.” , he added.
Characteristics of the angular rough shark
Tiberto remarks that he initially tried stay for a while in one of the tanks of the aquarium, But soon gave up. “It’s a species that doesn’t adapt to captivity,” he says.
The angular rough shark is known to live in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
A similar species, with its classic stocky body, inhabits the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
owns one lowered body, High and of triangular section, with three longitudinal ridges in each vertex of the triangle: one interdorsal and two abdominals.
Small head with a short, blunt nose and large, advanced nostrils. The mouth is also very small and with fleshy and prominent lips. The eyes are also big, oval and without nictitating membrane. It has no anal fin.