So imagine finding a rare shark out there that, since its discovery in 1986, has only been seen a few times, being a very difficult species to find (and with a very frightening appearance).
Well, that’s exactly what happened in Taiwan, where a research team from the local fisheries inspection body simply found 5 of these exotic animals that, for some reason, rose from the depths where they live and ended up in fishing nets.
The viper shark (Trigonognathus kabeyai) is a species that lives in the depths of the ocean, and measures about half a meter in length. But don’t be fooled by their unthreatening size: these fish are potentially very ferocious.
It has light-emitting organs like its relatives the lantern sharks (Etmopteridae), and with its extendable jaws it has the predatory ability of its larger relatives.
In fact, viper sharks are so rare that little is known about them, as only a few specimens have been found to date, and we cannot even say whether or not the species is in danger of extinction.
