If you already didn’t think this shark was cool, given by name alone, maybe the fact that it’s one of the only sharks that is metal enough (not actually made of metal) to live at depths up to 2,133.6 m (7,000 ft). What exactly do they eat down there? Why, fish and cephalopods, of course!
They are black/brown in color to blend into their dark surroundings. They have a long snout (hence one of their common names), and a slender body (besides its ever so cute round tummy). Their maximum reported age is 54 years, so hey, at least they get to grow old-ish! But it isn’t exactly a good thing- in fact, their flesh is high in mercury and it only increases as they age. If that doesn’t make sense, maybe this will: they are poisonous. Do not eat.
These animals are oviviparous, litter sizes ranging from four to eight pups.
Due to us not knowing that much about them, they are listed as “Least Concern,” (LC) by the IUCN. However, they seem to be common around New Zealand and southern Australia, where they’re commonly caught in deep water trawls and hook and line fisheries.
Ever heard of these critters?