Glowing shark smells its way to prey

Although a new species of lantern shark "shines", the animal was first observed in 2017, off North-Western Hawaii. The 37-cmlong and 1-kg-heavy shark lives at depths of up to 380 m, where sunlight is only dim, so it has developed an ability to light up in the dark. The light can lead shrimps and small fish into a trap. The lights on the lower side of the shark camouflage the animal in the dim, gleaming sunlight from the surface. The camouflage might also protect the shark from larger predators. The new species is markedly different from other lantern sharks. It has a considerably longer, protruding snout. The long nose helps the shark sniff out its prey in the dark.