'Alien'-Like Sharks With Extendable Jaws Pulled From Deep Sea
Viper dogfish sharks are rarely seen. They're thought to live a thousand feet below sea.
They were first captured and identified in 1986, but in the 32 years since, they've been seen only rarely and often just by accident.
Viper dogfish, Trigonognathus kabeyai, are a deep-sea dwelling type of small shark. Five were recently dredged up as bycatch off the coast of Taiwan.
The sharks were found during a routine fish survey conducted by a local research institute, according to local reports.
Researchers told local outlets that they were able to initially identify the species by the fish's long, narrow jaws, which contain rows of needle-shaped teeth.
Little is known about the rarely seen sharks, but a study in 2003 looked at 39 specimens to determine their physical characteristics. The scientists found that in addition to having
