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Rare Shark Filmed in Japan

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the 20,000-leagues dept.

[TheBORG] writes "A Deep Sea Frill Shark, whose normal habitat is between 600 and 1000m, was found and filmed off the coast of Japan recently. Normally they're caught (found dead) in fishermen's nets. This 'living fossil' was probably so close to the coast because it was sick. In its poor condition, the shark was moved by marine park personnel to a seawater pool where they filmed it swimming and opening its jaws. The shark died a few hours later after being filmed."

156 comments

  1. 1000m? by COMON$ · · Score: 4, Informative
    Correct me if I am wrong but humans can go a bit deeper than 1000 feet as mentioned in the article.

    http://www.ussubs.com/faq/luxury.php3 a small deep submersible could be carried "piggy back" by the Seattle, allowing a small group of 2-3 people to board the deep submersible through a transfer lock and dive to depths of up to 3000 meters or more.

    --
    CS: It is all sink or swim...oh and did I mention there are sharks in that water?
    1. Re:1000m? by Gr8Apes · · Score: 1

      You'd still have to find one. Same problem as with giant squids.

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
    2. Re:1000m? by VEGETA_GT · · Score: 1

      The fact that you can get down that deep dose not mean you will EVER see the shark down there. Take giant Squid for example, we can get down the deep, but besides one that was cought on camera because it was lured by bait and hooked on a line for a bit, we have never relay seen one in its natural habitat. but there are people looking for them.

    3. Re:1000m? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      1000m is Meters, not Feet. About three times the distance you were thinking.

    4. Re:1000m? by Matt+Edd · · Score: 2, Informative

      From the link provided:

      7. How deep can the submarine dive?

      The Seattle 1000 is designed to dive to 305 meters, or 1000 feet. This is an optimum compromise that allows exploration at significant depth but also allows us to have very large viewports for exceptional visibility. If necessary, a small deep submersible could be carried "piggy back" by the Seattle, allowing a small group of 2-3 people to board the deep submersible through a transfer lock and dive to depths of up to 3000 meters or more.

    5. Re:1000m? by BWJones · · Score: 1

      Current depth limitations of say the Seawolf class subs are classified, but the HY-100 steel that comprises their hulls provides for operational depths of between 300 to 533 meters although, Jane's quotes the depth of about 2000 feet. Smaller experimental hulls using HY-100 can allow for deeper dives, for instance Sea Cliff and Turtle were reportedly capable of reaching 10,000 feet.

      --
      Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
    6. Re:1000m? by Nos. · · Score: 4, Informative

      Wow, a little research, and I found this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathyscaphe_Trieste.. . deepest dive, at almost 11,000m. That's impressive.

    7. Re:1000m? by moro_666 · · Score: 1

      Exactly. Going that deep is one problem, trying to move around in that enormous pressure even with a sub and literally trying see anything in that pitch-black environment sounds like a mission impossible.

        At already 500m depth the pressure is ~50 atmospheres, if you'd be sent down there without any protection, any squid look like a giant next to you (maybe that's what the japanese are baffling about ? cause i really don't understand that giant-squid-mania).

        It's interesting however how that shark is related to those pesky fggers that we're afraid of :)

      --

      I'd tell you the chances of this story being a dupe, but you wouldn't like it.
    8. Re:1000m? by COMON$ · · Score: 1

      ya caught my mistake after posting, I really should start previewing or at least proofreading. I meant 1000m.

      --
      CS: It is all sink or swim...oh and did I mention there are sharks in that water?
    9. Re:1000m? by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 4, Funny

      ... trying see anything in that pitch-black environment

      Maybe they could use one of those machines that go 'ping'.

    10. Re:1000m? by el_coyotexdk · · Score: 1

      Nah it'd be a real shame to drag valuable hospital equipment down there :P

    11. Re:1000m? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What is "proofreading"? Is that something in the same probability class as reading the article?

    12. Re:1000m? by slashbob22 · · Score: 1

      Maybe they could use one of those machines that go 'ping'. I think you mis-spelled 'Ni'.
      --
      Proof by very large bribes. QED.
    13. Re:1000m? by Anonymous+McCartneyf · · Score: 1

      Maybe the sharks can hear the machines that go "ping." Maybe the sharks want to avoid things that go "ping."

      --
      There is a fine line between recklessness and courage... -- Paul McCartney
    14. Re:1000m? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Maybe they could use one of those machines that go 'ping'.
      Sharks use TCP/IP? Kick ass!
    15. Re:1000m? by The_Rook · · Score: 1

      more to the point. i don't think us sub has built a luxury submarine yet. at least not last time i checked their site. all their pictures are computer generated.

      --
      when religion is no longer the opiate of the masses, governments will resort to real opiates.
    16. Re:1000m? by Ltar · · Score: 1

      or IR cameras? sharks =/= cold blooded. high intensity lights would scare off the sharks, of course, but why not use IR?

    17. Re:1000m? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's a quite a few subs out there that can go much deeper than that. Alvin (of Titanic fame) can dive to over 4000m. Its sister ships, Turtle and Sea Cliff, could dive to 2500 and 6000 meters respectively until they were retired. I believe there are some Finnish/Russian made subs which can go down to about 6000m.

      SUBA divers have only made it down about 300 meters or so, but their problems aren't the ones you're thinking of. Water is incompressible, and your body's "internal pressure" equalizes with that of the environment outside. You would not shrink, nor would you have any trouble moving around. The biggest problems are finding a suitable breathing gas (due to many gases, including oxygen, being toxic at too high of a partial pressure), decompression, and carrying enough gas to breathe at those pressures.

    18. Re:1000m? by FridayBob · · Score: 4, Informative

      They mean humans with SCUBA equipment subjecting themselves to extreme ambient pressures -- not diving in submarines. Deepsea submarines have taken man to the very deepest parts of the oceans (about 11,000m), but the record for technical diving with special SCUBA equipment is 318.25m: a record set by South African Nuno Gomes in Dahab (Sinai, Egypt) in 2005. Such dives are very dangerous and require careful management of multiple gas mixtures composed of oxygen, nitrogen and helium (trimix) to prevent problems like nitrogen narcosis, oxygen poisoning and decompression sickness (the bends). Deep dives like this also last so long (Nuno's dive was over 12 hours) that lots of other problems, such as hypothermia and dehydration, have plenty of time to develop.

      The deepest simulated dive is 685.5msw (meters of sea water) set at Duke Medical Center (Durham, North Carolina) by three divers in 1981. In cases like this, HPNS (high pressure nervous syndrome) is the limiting factor. HPNS is a syndrome of neurologic dysfunction with symptoms that include tremors, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, visual distortions and altered sleep. Tremors associated with HPNS have been reported as shallow as 128.72msw, but the deeper you go, the more likely HPNS is to occur. Eventually, it can prevent a diver from performing essential tasks during a dive.

      Knowing this, you have to admire those sperm whales: mammals that are believed to be able to dive as deep as 3,000 metres and then go hunting for food at that depth!

    19. Re:1000m? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think that they were talking about going down in a wet suit. You're not going to survive at 1000 meters. You're obviously going to see a lot more photos where marine biologists and nature crews can swim around with standard scuba gear than depths where you need special equipment.

    20. Re:1000m? by Emetophobe · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Looking at that wiki link, I see that one of the divers was "Jacques Piccard". I wonder if the STNG writers actually got the idea for the captains name from him. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Piccard

    21. Re:1000m? by afedaken · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Interesting idea. But bear in mind that while we know what wavelengths are visible to humans, I'd be surprised if we knew what wavelengths were visible to this particular shark. I know some dogs and cats can see into the near-IR spectrum. Anyone out there know what fish can see?

      --
      If there's a castle floating upside down in the sky, then there's a castle floating upside down in the sky.
    22. Re:1000m? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Well , the article is talking about meters. You are mentioning feet.
      1000 meters are roughly 3000ft.

      Even though one can dive around so deep , it is still a lucky incident to find any animal on an excursion like that.

      Hartmut

    23. Re:1000m? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just one ping only, please.

    24. Re:1000m? by Duodecimal · · Score: 1

      Is water transparent to infrared?

    25. Re:1000m? by Don_dumb · · Score: 1

      Planet Earth used alot of infrared lighting & cameras to record lions, they stated that the lions could not notice the lights (and I imagine that lions, like domestic cats have a quite large range of the spectrum visible to them).

      My guess would be that sharks that exist at that depth (where there is no sunlight at all), can barely see, if at all. Electro-reception and smell must be far more useful (if it has either of those).

      --
      If this were really happening, what would you think?
    26. Re:1000m? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      even the authors if monty python know that ping is icmp and not tcp

      duh

    27. Re:1000m? by MPHellwig · · Score: 1

      "... and the sea will grant each man new hope, as sleep brings dreams of home."

    28. Re:1000m? by Gryle · · Score: 1

      I'm betting it's mostly water.

      --
      Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not entirely sure about the universe - Einstein
    29. Re:1000m? by tehcyder · · Score: 1
      Anyone out there know what fish can see?
      I wonder how many fish read slashdot regularly?
      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    30. Re:1000m? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He didn't say TCP, he said TCP/IP.

      Duh.

  2. Re:Damn, That's One Ugly Shark by gijoel · · Score: 0

    Try putting a laser on the top of that thing's head

  3. Ugh... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Looks the ugly step-child of a Resident Evil monster. With neighbors like that, no wonder Godzilla rampages through Tokyo every now and then.

    1. Re:Ugh... by cultrhetor · · Score: 1

      I don't think it was looking for a date. Kind of looks like my mother in law, though...

      --
      "Tu fui, ego eris" - Virgil
  4. Sad it died so soon after by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 1

    Its really sad it died just a few hours after capture, though it would be expected if its usual surroundings are at immense pressure (600 metres down).

    Additionally, the researchers couldn't get the frikkin laser beam head unit to fit snugly without drilling.

    --
    liqbase :: faster than paper
    1. Re:Sad it died so soon after by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It probably died of embarrassment over having been given such a gay name.

    2. Re:Sad it died so soon after by Nos. · · Score: 1

      Which might also explain why you post anonymously.

    3. Re:Sad it died so soon after by Kensai7 · · Score: 1

      Probably it died after seeing the "ugly humans" studying it... hehe, jee, creepy shark!

      --
      "Sum Ergo Cogito"
    4. Re:Sad it died so soon after by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He's dead Jim.

    5. Re:Sad it died so soon after by BillGatesLoveChild · · Score: 1

      > Its really sad it died just a few hours after capture, though it would be expected if its usual surroundings are at immense pressure (600 metres down).

      They should have left it in the ocean where i at least stood a chance. No point catching it unless they had a 600 m pressure tank. They speculate it wasn't well before, but putting it in a shallow pool they sealed its fate.

      Sadly, I know of one Japanese aquarium where they caught two whale sharks. Both died. They thought they had a new tourist attraction.
      Only one example of what happens on this planet every day. Greedy human seeks $$$$$$$.

  5. Dinner? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    SUSHI TIME! So did they eat it ? :D LOL, ok, someone had to say it...

    1. Re:Dinner? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree, let's eat it !

  6. No Lasers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Not worth mentioning then

  7. I smell a movie coming! by wiz31337 · · Score: 1

    Frilled sharks in the pool~!

    --
    /whisper/ Thanks for the candy!
    1. Re:I smell a movie coming! by KoldKompress · · Score: 1

      How about Sharks on a Plane?
      Hmm. That might be flawed somewhere..

    2. Re:I smell a movie coming! by Anonymous+McCartneyf · · Score: 2, Funny

      Sharks on a Sub?

      --
      There is a fine line between recklessness and courage... -- Paul McCartney
    3. Re:I smell a movie coming! by Joebert · · Score: 1

      As long as some chick whos husband was eaten by a shark doesn't have her friends talk her into going on a trip to get over that doesn't find one & fall in love with it, I don't give a damn where the sharks are.

      --
      Wanna fight ? Bend over, stick your head up your ass, and fight for air.
    4. Re:I smell a movie coming! by Greg.Rodden · · Score: 1

      NO NO NO!@ The cameras will kill them! Don't you people read!

      --
      I have ridden the mighty moon worm!
    5. Re:I smell a movie coming! by comradeeroid · · Score: 2, Funny

      I've had it with those motherf****n sharks in this motherf****n pool!

      --
      If you see a rock violating the law of gravity, then the law is wrong, not the rock!
  8. Change in currents by resonte · · Score: 1
    Does anyone think this could be due to a case of changing ocean currents? Which in turn causes different volumes of water to have drastic tempurature differences than normal. If this shark navigates waters based on temperatures rather than tempature/pressure, than this is plausible.

    I don't understand why a shark would surface if it was sick, that would just make it more vulnerable to unforeseen predators.

    --
    \(^o^)/
    1. Re:Change in currents by PresidentEnder · · Score: 1

      If we start seeing more and more frilled sharks all coming to shallow waters around the same time, I'll be worried. For the moment, though, this does look like an aberration.

      --
      I used to carry a bottle of whiskey for snake bite. And two snakes. -Nefarious Wheel
    2. Re:Change in currents by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Instinct, perhaps? It knows it's dying, so it heads toward the surface where other animals will eat it rather than leaving its carcass where others of its kind might encounter it? The theory being if it was diseased, it wouldn't want to spread that disease to other frilled sharks.

      I don't see where "changing ocean currents" would cause this. If that were the root cause, we'd be seeing a lot more of these things popping up.

    3. Re:Change in currents by resonte · · Score: 1

      Oops tempature/pressure should equal lumanance/presure.

      --
      \(^o^)/
    4. Re:Change in currents by dlt074 · · Score: 1

      nope. if so you'd see other residents of those depths swimming around to.

      it's a sick animal, they do stupid unforeseen things. their sick

    5. Re:Change in currents by zlogic · · Score: 1

      I don't understand why a shark would surface if it was sick, that would just make it more vulnerable to unforeseen predators. Probably when it became sick it became even more stupid than it was before.
    6. Re:Change in currents by Brushfireb · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I don't understand why a shark would surface if it was sick, that would just make it more vulnerable to unforeseen predators.

      This is quite common in *many* animal species. Even dogs and raccoons do this. Obviously, when a creature gets physically sick (or old), often they are also mentally deficient as well, just like humans. With animals, however, they often wander into strange places, away from others of their kind, and generally do things they wouldn't ever normally do. This can be attributed to loss of sensory capabilities, perception, and many other things.

      In some ways, this is advantageous -- not to the individual creature, but to the overall population -- and can potentially be considered advantageous behavior. If a creature is infested with a disease, the further away it gets from its healthy kin, the better off they are likely to be. If the creature is just old, it can benefit the rest of the 'pack' by leading predators away, at very least, before it dies.

      Back on topic... This thing looked pretty beaten up. Granted, I haven't ever seen one before, but it looks to me pretty old and out of it. It was just its time -- I wouldn't attribute its death to anything else unless you start seeing many more similar cases. Then it makes sense to worry. Until then, this is just kind of 'cool' for us monkeys.

      B

    7. Re:Change in currents by adisakp · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I don't understand why a shark would surface if it was sick, that would just make it more vulnerable to unforeseen predators.

      One of the first symptoms of many types of sickness in most species of fish is difficulty controlling their buoyancy. If you have a fish tank and your fish is sitting at the top or bottom of the tank and moving slowly, that's a good sign it's a sick fishy.

    8. Re:Change in currents by carpeweb · · Score: 5, Funny

      I've had several dogs, and not one of them ever surfaced from 1,000 m just because they were sick or dying.

    9. Re:Change in currents by Deadstick · · Score: 1

      Not necessarily deficient behavior. Cats have a reputation for "sneaking off to die", but it's more like sneaking off to survive. They have strong recuperative powers and can get over some pretty serious injuries and illnesses -- if a predator doesn't get to them in their weakened state. So when sick or injured they'll go to their favorite hidey-hole for protection.

      rj

    10. Re:Change in currents by R2.0 · · Score: 1

      I found out our snail was dead by the fact that teh goldfich had pulled it out of it's shell and were trying to eat it.

      I can't wait for those bastards to take the Toilet Bowl Flume Ride to hell - I liked that snail.

      --
      "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
    11. Re:Change in currents by StikyPad · · Score: 4, Funny
      I don't understand why a shark would surface if it was sick

      This is quite common in *many* animal species. Even dogs and raccoons do this.

      Only the ones that are witches. The rest of them stay on the bottom.
      --
      https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
    12. Re:Change in currents by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sharks don't have swim-bladders.

    13. Re:Change in currents by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      'cept that sharks don't have swim bladders for buoyancy control... sure looks sick though.

    14. Re:Change in currents by jonatha · · Score: 1

      Sharks don't have swim bladders.

      --
      The SCO lawsuit makes me wish my company were in Utah. We need a new building.
    15. Re:Change in currents by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "...that would just make it more vulnerable to unforeseen predators." ...like Japanese film crews?

      Maybe it was the stress of being used in one of those "Endurance" style game shows that killed it?

    16. Re:Change in currents by Stephen+Maturin · · Score: 1

      But what if they were made of wood?

      --
      Non tam praeclarum est scire Latine, quam turpe nescire
      -- Cicero
    17. Re:Change in currents by 93,000 · · Score: 1

      Funniest. Post. Ever.

      --
      Sweet informative mod.
  9. I'll bet by Aqua_boy17 · · Score: 3, Funny

    This guy was probably one of the sole survivors who ate Godzilla eggs keeping the population down. Now they're in for it. "Oh no, there goes Tokyo!"

    --
    What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?
    1. Re:I'll bet by pipingguy · · Score: 1

      What, not even one post referencing Blue Oyster Cult?

  10. Ah hah! by dreddnott · · Score: 5, Funny

    More proof that cameras steal souls!

    --
    I may make you feel, but I can't make you think.
    1. Re:Ah hah! by bn557 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Close, this was actually Schroedinger's Shark. Once they observed it, it's state became 100% dead, rather than a superposition of alive and dead. No Fair.

      --
      Humans are slow, innaccurate, and brilliant; computers are fast, acurrate, and dumb; together they are unbeatable
  11. Sure... by TodMinuit · · Score: 1, Redundant

    ... but does it have a frickin' laser beam?

    (I think this warrants me getting pelted with stones.)

    --
    I wonder if I use bold in my signature, people will notice my posts.
    1. Re:Sure... by rucs_hack · · Score: 1

      {sounds of mob picking up stones}....

    2. Re:Sure... by Adambomb · · Score: 1

      All I said was that piece of halibut was good enough for..

      --
      Ice Cream has no bones.
  12. Obl. laser joke. by grasshoppa · · Score: 2, Funny

    But what kind of lasers were they armed with?

    Ok, now that we got that out of our system, we can procede.

    --
    Mod me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!
  13. Leopard Fish? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

    Good thing they didn't have to tangle with a jaguar shark. That's the kind of thing that can give you crazy-eye.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

    1. Re:Leopard Fish? by p0tat03 · · Score: 1

      I'm sorry, but the current evolutionary version is the "Tiger Shark". There is no current release date for "Leopard Fish".

      Jaguar sharks are deprecated and should be evolved at the soonest opportunity.

  14. He's not dead by spun · · Score: 4, Funny

    He's pinin' for the fjords!

    --
    - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    1. Re:He's not dead by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ugh, seriously, give the old jokes a break. Come up with something original.

    2. Re:He's not dead by Cervantes · · Score: 1

      He's pinin' for the fjords! Hehehe, funny and true. If only I had mod points.
      --
      If I knew the wedgies I gave you back in 6th grade would have resulted in this . . . I might have taken a moments pause.
  15. Or maybe it dies because.. by rockabilly · · Score: 1

    ..because of all the polution we're dumping into the oceans.

    1. Re:Or maybe it dies because.. by techpawn · · Score: 0

      NO that would just mutate it onto a 16 story tall monster...

      --
      Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what your country did to you
    2. Re:Or maybe it dies because.. by LittleLebowskiUrbanA · · Score: 1

      Yeah, that must be it. Good thing we have your learned input. Obviously your research has shown you that there's no pollution at the shark's natural habitat, right?

      --
      This guy is way out there
    3. Re:Or maybe it dies because.. by Kazrath · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Love the blanket statements that are regirgitated from someone elses mouth. What ever happened to the slashdot crowd thinking their own thoughts and posting intelligently?

      Yeah pollution is harmful. But to make a statement that you are unable to prove is identifying only that your stupid or a politician with an agenda.

    4. Re:Or maybe it dies because.. by LittleLebowskiUrbanA · · Score: 1

      I don't know how pollution can logically get into this debate. Look at the level of the creature's natural habitat! Original post was moronic.

      --
      This guy is way out there
    5. Re:Or maybe it dies because.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ..because of all the polution we're dumping into the oceans.

      Nah its global warming I tell you global warming!!!!!!!!!!!!

    6. Re:Or maybe it dies because.. by rockabilly · · Score: 1

      I don't have to prove anything. I could have just as easily said "MAYBE" it died from a UFO attack. I'm not stupid. You just can't read.

    7. Re:Or maybe it dies because.. by spun · · Score: 1

      Hehe. I first read the word as "politicians" not "pollution," and I thought every good idea has it's downside, doesn't it?

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    8. Re:Or maybe it dies because.. by LittleLebowskiUrbanA · · Score: 1

      And that would have just as much logic behind it as your first statement.

      --
      This guy is way out there
  16. Video shot of the shark by Pippen101 · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=Qz_nZixWX6Q Youtube video of the shark

    1. Re:Video shot of the shark by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thank you.. if I had an account w/mod points I'd use 'em. Yahoo's video predictably stalled on their forced advertisment and I grew old.

    2. Re:Video shot of the shark by KKlaus · · Score: 1

      Am I the only one that thinks the sharks tail looks like it pushes water perpendicular to a point _below_ its center of gravity? Somebody needs to evolve... I mean jeez, get yourself together mr. deep seel frill shark.

      --
      Relax I just want some peanuts.
  17. Or one of a million reasons..... by CasperIV · · Score: 1

    There are a few too many reasons animals die to speculate at one point, especially one that is so unsupported. We would need an autopsy and a few more dead frill sharks to start pointing and a wider problem then the animal specific such as infection, age, injury, dieses, abnormalities, predation, etc...

    1. Re:Or one of a million reasons..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      necropsy not autopsy

  18. the real reason the shark died by jcgam69 · · Score: 1

    Frill Fin soup!

    1. Re:the real reason the shark died by ylsul · · Score: 1

      But what kind of loot does it drop?

  19. sushi anyone? by MySt1k · · Score: 1

    Doesn't looks like something I'd like to eat but hell, after eating Macdonald, i guess my stomach could endure anything ?

    --
    Doh !
  20. $10,000 Plate? by Kirin+Fenrir · · Score: 3, Funny

    Japan huh? And now it's dead?

    That's going to be the most expensive plate of sushi ever!

    --
    Caffeine is my anti-drug!

    Duranin - A NWN2 Roleplaying Persistent World
  21. Where's the wasabi? by Mr.+Lwanga · · Score: 1

    It's sashimi time.

  22. What I don't understand is... by e-scetic · · Score: 2, Interesting

    WTF did they have to capture it for?

    They clearly moved it so a shallow area where it couldn't find its way back to the depths.

    1. Re:What I don't understand is... by unchiujar · · Score: 2, Insightful

      So someone can study it maybe ?

      --
      Shakespeare poems - infinite monkeys with infinite time.Computer tech support - a few trained ones working from 9 to 5.
    2. Re:What I don't understand is... by snero3 · · Score: 1

      Judging from the article and the video of the poor creature it was already pretty sick and in quite some distress. So it was prpobably going to end up dead in some trawlers nets anyway. Why not bring it back and study it and maybe even give it a chance to recover free from predators?

      --
      It said "windows 98 or better" so I installed Linux
    3. Re:What I don't understand is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because it was interesting.

      The point of the article was that they found and videotaped something cool and learned something about it in the process, not that it died. I'm sorry if that offends half the readers who have replied to this submission so far, but I'll bet thousands or even millions of these things die on their own every year, without any human intervention. In fact, according to the fossil record, these things have been dying off in large numbers for millions of years.

    4. Re:What I don't understand is... by potat0man · · Score: 1

      The shark was likely going to die anyway but even if it weren't it's worth risking killing one shark to get some footage of a species of animal hardly anyone has ever even seen.

      Even if for the inspiration alone.

    5. Re:What I don't understand is... by BJH · · Score: 1

      They didn't "capture" it. It was brought to the aquarium by a fisherman who'd pulled it up in a net and wasn't sure what it was.

  23. Re:Damn, That's One Ugly Shark by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    And perhaps you could cut the apostrophe you put in the possessive ITS and let it sink to the bottom of the ocean so I can read /. without wanting to scream?

    PS: IT'S = IT IS

  24. No wonder it died... by d34d.10n · · Score: 1

    What the hell did you expect it to do without its laser?!

  25. Mmmmm...Sushi by R2.0 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Come on - tell me no one else thought it.

    --
    "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
    1. Re:Mmmmm...Sushi by Ximok · · Score: 1

      But but but... someone else already made this post!

      Mmmmm.... squid shark sandwich...

    2. Re:Mmmmm...Sushi by JazzLad · · Score: 1

      At least it wasn't another laser joke.

      Seriously.

      --
      "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear." - Every fascist, ever
  26. Mutants? by 6ame633k · · Score: 1

    Snake Like Sharks? Virgin Kamodo Dragons? We better find that source of radiation...I'm just saying...

    Scientists announced in December in the journal Nature that Flora the Kimodo had fertilized the eggs herself without any male help, in a process culminating in parthenogenesis or "virgin birth"

    http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2818923

    --
    You had me at merlot
    1. Re:Mutants? by 6ame633k · · Score: 1

      ...or else worship our new reptile saviour!

      --
      You had me at merlot
    2. Re:Mutants? by Chris+Burke · · Score: 1

      Oh man, that's a scary thought. I can only see the stories in the Komodo Dragon New Testament, such as Komodo Dragon Jesus Feeds the 3,000... to his Disciples.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    3. Re:Mutants? by kalel666 · · Score: 1

      Hey man, is the Space Pope reptilian?

      --
      I HAVE CUBIC WISDOM THAT TRANSCENDS AND CONTRADICTS ONE DAY GODS
  27. The Life Aquatic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "I plan to find it and kill it."
    "There's no scientific purpose to this, it's for revenge."

  28. Squid then rare shark by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I haven't read either articles but Japan has recently filmed a giant squid and now a shark that spends all of it's life deep under water. I'm starting to think perhaps they are filming these animals using South Parks "It's coming right for us!" technique....

  29. Obliga...nevermind by kitsunewarlock · · Score: 1

    I for one welcome our new deep-diving shar...no wait...its dead. I guess I was a little hasty in my previous declarations. I would like to formally really myself with this race and country...it may not be perfect but its the best thing we have. For now.

    --
    Ginga no Rekshiya Mata Each page.
  30. Eel with an ugly face. by antdude · · Score: 1

    After watching the video, it looked like an eel but with an ugly face. :)

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    1. Re:Eel with an ugly face. by sleepcountry · · Score: 1

      As opposed to all the other eels with handsome faces.

  31. But... by Ahayuta · · Score: 1

    The solution to polution is dilution...

  32. Taste by Joebert · · Score: 2, Funny

    Damn it !
    They've always either been dead for too long, or have somthing wrong with them, when are we going to get to taste one of theese things ?

    --
    Wanna fight ? Bend over, stick your head up your ass, and fight for air.
  33. Found, died shortly after. by psoriac · · Score: 1

    Why is it everything the Japanese have been bringing up lately (see giant squid article) dies during or shortly after capture? That and their continued whaling for "scientific research".

    --
    I browse Slashdot at +3, Funny
  34. Sick, my eye... by Franklin+Brauner · · Score: 1

    We see something rare, we catch it and put it into captivity. It dies, and we say it must have been sick. What's sick is this whole sad episode. I bet someone's making rare shark-tail soup about now.

    1. Re:Sick, my eye... by fistynuts · · Score: 1

      If it wasn't for zoos and animal preservation programmes then lots more species would be extinct than currently are. The point of capturing ultra-rare creatures is usually to sustain their presence on the planet rather than to extinguish it.

      --
      "You heard the man, Tubbs.. get undressed."
    2. Re:Sick, my eye... by Unknown_monkey · · Score: 1

      The quote from the scientists was "We didn't kill it, we swear, it was sick! Don't believe the lies, we never tested it and we never put soy sauce on it until AFTER it was dead."

      --
      Why are women so complicated? Find out how little I know here.
    3. Re:Sick, my eye... by geekoid · · Score: 1

      To be at the shallow depth it what indicates it is sick. Like most marine animals.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  35. sheel? by fluffman86 · · Score: 1

    Wow, that thing is crazy ugly. It looks more like an eel toward the back than a shark.

  36. BURN!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I prescribe fire and lots of it.

  37. Re:Obl. laser joke. by Feanturi · · Score: 1

    Ok, now that we got that out of our system, we can procede.

    Wait, wait, we need someone to play spelling Nazi before we can truly proceed. There, that's better.

  38. Sick, Not to mention... by jpellino · · Score: 1

    ...one heckova case of the bends.

    --
    "Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
  39. Seawolf? by Paltin · · Score: 1

    This is relevant, because Seawolf class submarines have great windows so you can see everything outside them! Also, they are used for biological observation all the time!

    A relevant submersible is the DSV Alvin, which is used consistently for science, has useful observation tools such as windows and lights, and can submerge to a depth in excess of 4500m.

  40. Rare shark found in Japan by brian_d_w · · Score: 2, Funny

    Dericious

  41. lack of oxygen? by LuxFX · · Score: 1

    The water at 600m - 1000m is at something like 60-100 times the pressure of water on the surface. Do deep sea animals have the same kind of trouble breathing in shallow water that a human has breathing in the thin air on the top of Mt. Everest? I realize that many oceanic creatures come to shallow waters when they are sick or dying, so that's probably the same here. But could the capture of the animal into a (relatively) shallow area contributed due to low oxygen density?

    --
    Punctanym: alternate spelling of words using punctuation or numerals in place of some or all of its letters; see 'leet'
    1. Re:lack of oxygen? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, because oxygen is actually squeezed out by the higher pressure of the water. Most of the gradient in oxygen levels in the ocean is due to thermal gradients, and tends to drop as you get further away from mixing with the surface (with some exceptions involving deep currents and what not, of course).

      Anyway, unlike a mixture of gases, where the proportions are roughly equal and the amount only changes due to pressure, the amount of gases dissolved in water goes down with pressure, because the liquid volume stays the same (liquids don't compress almost at all), but the gases are put under higher pressure and forced to bubble out, because water with less gas is more stable than water with more gas (which is why water boils, rather than just having the gas sit at the bottom, and why water squirts out of a sponge when you squeeze it; nature seeks out the most stable situation). It's not a major effect, but higher pressure certainly doesn't help.

      The real reason why deep sea critters don't like major pressure changes is because water is much denser than air, so changing depths by just 1000 meters introduces a much, much bigger pressure difference than going from sea level to the top of Everest. At this point, without acclimatization at intermediate pressures, internal pressure of their internal fluids would simply cause the critters to explode from mechanical stress.

    2. Re:lack of oxygen? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      AFAIK the water is actually MORE oxygenated near the surface.

      Oxygen enters water in two ways, from mixing on the surface and from photosynthetic aquatic plants/organisms that live in the "light zone" (i.e. the part near the surface that gets light).

  42. "Exhibited to the public" by Franklin+Brauner · · Score: 1

    zoo (z?) n., pl. zoos. A park or an institution in which living animals are kept and usually exhibited to the public. Also called zoological garden. I question the purpose of capturing a dying creature and removing it from its natural habitat -- rare species or not.

    1. Re:"Exhibited to the public" by thejuggler · · Score: 1

      You have so little clues it just plain pathetic. Most Zoos are engaged in captive breeding programs for two main reasons. 1. To perpetuate the current population of animals in the Zoo with out capturing any more from the wild. 2. Breeding endangered species for the possible reintroduction into the wild. Several species of endangered animals have been successfully reintroduced into the wild and researchers are studying other species to learn how to reintroduce those as well. Maybe you should learn more about what Zoos really do, check out http://www.aza.org./

    2. Re:"Exhibited to the public" by Franklin+Brauner · · Score: 2, Funny

      You have so little clues it just plain pathetic.

      My apologies, it just my opinions.

  43. Let see by geekoid · · Score: 1

    HArd to find, very rare....14cp and a pair of gray gloves.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  44. Probably an earthquake by coalrestall · · Score: 3, Informative

    The part of Japan it was found has a narrow gulf on a plate with some very very deep water. It's not unusual after an earthquake for all manner of freaky sea creatures to surface, apparently fleeing the depths.

  45. Shark was starving! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I think it's possible that the shark might have been starving. Why else would it venture out so far from it's natural habitat? I think the reason why it looked 'sick' was because it was starving. It think we, humans, are eating these ancient creatures out of house and home!

    -Anonymous C. W.

  46. My theory by Vicegrip · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Interesting, in the video it looks like it is keeping its gills crazy-open none-stop. It looks like its desperately trying to get enough water across its gills. Maybe it just died of exhaustion because of the effort? Kind of like what people go through when not used to mountain atmospheres and get out of breath fast.

    My free guess: it almost got caught by a fishing net which wounded it. The damage caused the fish to become disoriented. Lack of oxygen further disoriented it and all it could to stay alive was try to get more water across its gills. Eventually it died from exhaustion.

    --
    Do not spread "09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0" over the internet, thank you.
    1. Re:My theory by iansmith · · Score: 1

      Oxygen leves go up drasticly the higher you get, so there should be a lot more oxygen at the surface than 2000 meters down. But... its colder down there so that means more oxygen than at the warmer surface. Bah, I guess I have no idea what I'm talking about. :-)

  47. I for one... by mqduck · · Score: 1

    ... refuse to finish this joke for fear of lynching.

    --
    Property is theft.
  48. So where's the Shark SUSHI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Next, a rare shark sushi dish for $120 USD

  49. With this article by maroberts · · Score: 1

    Slashdot has "jumped the shark".

    Boom-tish!

    --

    Donte Alistair Anderson Roberts - hi son!
    Karma: Chameleon

  50. Prehistoric by BrandonReese · · Score: 1

    Is it really a prehistoric creature if it's making history today? Also how do they determine this shark is primitive? Does it not use the advanced tools other sharks use?