…without the hysteria
British Columbia orcas feed on sleeper sharks
by TheDorsalFin on Jan.18, 2011 at 11:15 am, under Shark News Stories
A recent study has found that orcas off of B.C. feed on Pacific sleeper sharks.
The Vancouver Sun is reporting that a new study shows through DNA evidence that offshore orcas (or killer whales) feed on Pacific sleeper sharks (Somniosus pacificus). The study was recently published in the journal of Aquatic Biology (Vol 11, No. 3).
According to the study, this is the first confirmed prey species of offshore killer whales, as well as the first record of Pacific sleeper sharks being prey items of orcas. Researchers believe that the abrasive skin of the Pacific sleeper shark is wearing the teeth of the orcas flat.
For more about the study, check out the full article at The Vancouver Sun.
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January 19th, 2011 on 2:01 pm
[...] sharks to get a little posthumous revenge. According to a study of orcas off of British Columbia, sleeper sharks are on the menu, but their sandpaper-like skin is wearing out the orcas’ teeth. Funny, when that happens to [...]