Pacific Sleeper Shark
Somniosus pacificus
- Near threatened
- Card rarity: Uncommon
- Sharks and rays
The Pacific sleeper shark is a shark of the family Somniosidae, the sleeper sharks. While primarily associated with temperate and subarctic waters of the Northern Pacific Ocean, it has been documented in the tropical Pacific and Antarctic Ocean as well. Reaching lengths of 4.65 m (15.3 ft), it is one of the world's largest predatory sharks. It is highly adapted to the extreme temperature and pressures of the deep-sea, including specialized liver oils and high concentrations of urea and trimethylamine oxide for survival. The sleeper shark has a sluggish reputation, but is also a versatile hunter and scavenger that migrates vertically. Due to its slow growth and vulnerability to fishing bycatch, it is currently classified as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Classification
- Class
- Chondrichthyes
- Order
- Squaliformes
- Family
- Somniosidae
- Genus
- Somniosus