Researchers observe sleeping shark girls on the sea floor: Video
The sharks, the Port Jackson sharks, are what are known as “real girls.” Aside from girls-only pajama parties, they often live separately from the males of their species until it is time to mate.
No boys allowed! Only female sharks doze on the sea floor.
It is unclear to scientists why the sharks collected were exclusively female.
Onesie suits and face masks are common at most girls’ pajama parties. But this one is a little different. Researchers have discovered a girls’ pajama party that’s themed around sharks.
Port Jackson sharks covered the seafloor in a “very cute, very demure” girls-only slumber party at Australia’s Beagle Marine Park, according to an Aug. 14 news release from the National Environmental Science Program. The mysterious slumber party was captured by an underwater robot remotely operated by the South Australian Research and Development Institute.
“A remote-controlled vehicle with seven cameras, custom-built by Boxfish Robotics in collaboration with the University of Tasmania’s Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies, provided us with a spectacular scene,” said Jacquomo Monk, the leader of the research team, in a statement. “Thousands of sharks were packed tightly together like a carpet on the sea floor.”
‘Girls just want to have fun’: Watch the girls-only pajama party
The researchers discovered the sharks during their first survey of the park six years ago. At that time, the team, led by the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), returned for two weeks to re-examine the area and determine how it might have changed.
The research is supported by the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program and by a “grant of sea time from the Southern Australian Coastal Research Vessel Fleet with funding from the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy”.
The team’s research will be handed over to park managers, who will need the data to assess how close the park is to meeting its conservation goals.
What are Port Jackson sharks?
The sharks are medium-sized and can grow to between 1.4 and 1.6 meters in length. They are native to Australia and are mainly used for scientific research or caught as bycatch, according to the Florida Museum.
However, recent research shows that there may be high embryo mortality in this shark species. The museum states that the species should be monitored to ensure it is not overfished and populations are not impacted.
These nocturnal ladies rest during the day and hunt animals such as squid at night, the study’s press release states.
There have been no reports of a Port Jackson shark attacking a human. Although they are considered harmless, they can be dangerous if provoked.
“This raises more questions than it answers”: Pajama party for women only is a mystery
Monk hoped to see the sharks again, and the fact that he and his team found them showed researchers that the park is an important area for the fish.
“Seeing them twice in a 3,000-square-kilometer park is like looking for a needle in a haystack,” Monk said in a statement. “It was very exciting when we managed to cross a rise in the reef and catch a glimpse of the sharks dozing 65 meters below the ship, almost in the same spot as six years ago.”
The fact that only women participated in the pajama party aroused the researchers’ interest.
“This raises more questions for us than it answers, but we know that males and females of this species often live apart except to mate,” Monk said. “We don’t know exactly why the females are here. Perhaps they are feasting on the local delicacy – doughboy scallops – before making the long journey north to lay their eggs.”
Julia is a trends reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered a variety of topics, from local business and government in her hometown of Miami to technology and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram And TikTok: @juliamariegz
