Mysterious, Ancient Shark Older Than Dinosaurs Seen On Camera In Bahamas

The mysterious bluntnose sixgill shark, which has been on Earth even before the dinosaurs, was caught on camera in the Bahamas. The incredibly rare footage showed the creature, which grows up to 26 feet in length.

Described as "perfectly efficient" by the team from OceanX and Florida State University, very little is known about the bluntnose sixgill shark, despite its existence for nearly 200 million years. According to Science Alert, this shark prefers the darker waters of the meso- and bathypelagic zones, which is 8,200 feet deep. It comes into shallower waters only under the cover of night to feed.

A team of marine biologists led by Florida State University took a trip out to the Bahamas aboard the OceanX research vessel Alucia.

"Because bluntnose sixgills are a deep sea species, it’s hard on them physiologically to be tagged in this way," the researchers wrote in a blog post, describing the achievement. "In their typical life cycle, they won’t experience daylight, and very rarely will they feel the low pressure, warmer temperatures of surface waters. Typically, the data obtained after surface tagging of a six gill is believed to be skewed, as the shark does not return to its natural behaviors for some time after the tagging."

It is believed that bluntnose sixgill sharks have a life span approaching 80 years. They mostly feed on fallen carcasses.

"Although they are generally, slow moving, sixgills can move with incredible speed for short periods, and may use this ability coupled with their drab coloration to capture their prey using an element of surprise. They are not usually dangerous to humans unless provoked," according to National Geographic.

Footage of the shark was posted on Facebook and Twitter.