Viper shark

Viper shark

Today we are going to talk about a very little known and strange shark species. Unlike the sharks that we are used to analyzing, the morphology and way of life of this species is totally different. We talk about viper shark. In English it is known by the name of viper dogfish. This name can be translated into Spanish as quelvacho vibora. Its scientific name is Trigonognathus kabeyai and it was discovered in 1990, which makes it one of the most modern and unknown species to date.

In this article we are going to discover some of the deepest secrets of the viper shark.

Key features

Viper shark characteristics

To this day, very little information is available about the viper shark. The number of specimens captured does not reach fifty. It is an accidental capture that occurs in purse-seine-type fisheries on open bottoms in different parts of the Pacific. Specifically, the coasts of Japan and Hawaii are the only places on the planet where the viper shark has been captured.

It belongs to the family Etmopteridae (order Squaliformes). This family is known to have lantern sharks due to the presence of photophores on the body surface. With this or it can be deduced that they live in depths where sunlight is not enough and they need lighting from these photophores. They have an alien look, perfect to be the protagonist of a type of comic.

It has an elongated body, cylindrical and with small fins. It has two spiny dorsal fins and no anal fin. Its skin is dark brown above and black for now with luminous black spots on the peduncle and tail fin.

It is in the part of the head where the distinctive features of this animal are found. We start with a very long and narrow mouth in a terminal position as if it were a snake. The mouth has long, curved teeth like fangs. The teeth do not describe an arch as in the rest of species, but are V-shaped. The viper shark escaped by projecting its jaw in order to capture its prey. Thanks to the ability to lengthen the jaw and the length of the teeth, it can be fed de peces bones and crustaceans that it swallows whole. It is known that the fangs are only used to impale and capture prey.

Range and habitat of the viper shark

New species of shark

Although not much data is available on this species, what can be based on the catches allows us to know the habitat. We know that it inhabits deep waters near the upper slope between 330-360 meters deep. 39 specimens have been captured in the margin from sea level to 170 meters deep. Some specimens have also been captured at a depth of 1500 meters. This may indicate that it performs various vertical nocturnal migrations in order to capture its prey.

Due to the depths the food or scarcity, therefore, they must ascend to the surface to find their prey. This or, however, is nothing more than conjecture. The way of life of the viper shark is not very well known.

Regarding its biology, it is quite difficult to affirm things since the knowledge that is had about it is little.

Viper shark reproduction

Viper shark specimens

Although it is not well known, it is thought to be an aplacental viviparous animal. Males begin to mature when they are between 37 and 44 centimeters in length, while females around 44 centimeters. At least they can reach a length of 54 centimeters. As fisheries accidentally catch more specimens, more information will be available to scientists about their development, way of life, biology, etc.

The only thing we can say with complete certainty is that in the depths of the ocean the biodiversity is enormous. The problem lies in being able to study and know areas where sunlight barely reaches. For the human being it is difficult to investigate in depth it is so great, since the pressure is greater and the means more complicated. It is possible that there are different species of viper shark since some specimens captured in Hawaii show some morphometric differences with respect to the specimens captured in Japan.

Some specimens were captured in Taiwan that lasted up to 24 hours after leaving the water. Hardly any study could be conducted that reveals conditional information about the biology of this shark. Its name is due to its great resemblance to the viper. It is as if it were a sea snake but with the characteristics of a shark.

As you can see, the depths of the ocean never cease to amaze us. I hope that with this information you can learn more about the viper shark.


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