Rare sighting of a ‘sharktopus’ leaves onlookers stunned and puzzled

Marine biologist Rochelle Constantine and her analysis workforce encountered one thing utterly surprising throughout a analysis journey off New Zealand’s northern coast — a sight that left them completely surprised.

Whereas observing a shortfin mako shark swimming by means of the waters in December 2023, one thing unusual caught their eye. 

“It had a very giant orangey-brown form on its head,” Constantine, who lately shared the discovery in a blog post, informed As It Occurs host Nil Köksal. 

“We’re like, ‘Oh, is it entangled in a buoy, [or] some kind of fishing gear? Or perhaps, [it] had an harm, as a result of accidents typically have uncommon colors underneath the water.'” 

To resolve it, the workforce steered their boat nearer to the shark, deployed a drone for aerial pictures and caught a GoPro within the water to get a more in-depth look. 

What they found was removed from what they anticipated: the mysterious blob was really a Maori octopus clinging to the shark’s head.

“It was positively working to maintain itself very contained on prime,” mentioned Constantine, a professor of organic sciences on the College of Auckland. “You could possibly see a tentacle … stray out every so often.”  

It did not take lengthy for the workforce to offer the uncanny duo a reputation. 

“It bought named nearly immediately on the water,” Constantine mentioned. “The sharktopus.” 

A impossible pair 

The Maori octopus, the biggest octopus within the Southern Hemisphere, lives deep under and feeds on the seabed, says Constantine. 

In the meantime, the mako shark sometimes swims above within the mid-water, diving to nice depths however not often, if ever, approaching the ocean flooring. 

“How they really discovered one another is the best thriller,” mentioned Constantine. “They’ve very completely different worlds.” 

Constantine says scientists can solely speculate about what introduced them collectively. 

“I feel so long as the octopus stays away from the mako shark’s mouth, they’re most likely positively buddies,” she mentioned. 

College of Victoria marine biologist Verena Tunnicliffe, who was not concerned within the expedition, says the octopus most likely fell prey to the shark, and was hiding on its again. 

“It is a very vivid animal – the place’s the most secure place? [I] guess it is hoping will probably be capable of slip off with out discover,” mentioned Tunnicliffe. 

“I can not think about it thought this may be a joyride, however you by no means know.” 

Conserving it a thriller 

Although how the sharktopus got here to be stays a thriller, the encounter has sparked widespread curiosity all over the world. 

WATCH | Drone footage from the College of Auckland reveals the sharktopus from above: 

And Constantine is all for the chatter and a focus that the “sharktopus” has generated. 

“I actually liked that everywhere in the world, and all these languages, individuals are speaking about, ‘Effectively, what’s that? Why would they discover one another? What’s going on?'” 

For Constantine, the surprising encounter serves as a reminder of how a lot we nonetheless need to be taught concerning the ocean and its unimaginable creatures, whereas nudging us to be higher stewards of it. 

“The lives of those animals is a lot greater than how we understand them,” she mentioned. 

“I feel that is true of all the things within the ocean. I really need folks to simply cease and mirror on how a lot we do not know, how cool the ocean is and the way essential it’s for us.”