A tiger shark stunned Australian researchers by regurgitating an echidna (highlighted in red in the image above) – a far from typical shark prey – in front of their eyes.
Scientists from James Cook University in North Queensland were tagging marine animals when a three-metre-long tiger shark regurgitated a dead echidna, also known as the Australian echidna, in front of them. The spiny, egg-laying mammal lives on land and is therefore by no means typical prey for sharks.
“We were quite amazed by what we saw,” says scientist Nicolas Lubitz. “When he spit it out, I looked at it and said, ‘What the hell is that?'” Lubitz added that he could only imagine that the tiger shark had grabbed the echidna as it swam into the shallow water between two islands.
Echidna spat out whole
Since the shark spit out the echidna whole, it can be assumed that the fish only recently ate the sea urchin. According to the scientist, the strange incident took place in May 2022. The tiger shark survived the entire adventure unharmed and was returned to the sea after Lubitz and his colleagues equipped it with a tracking device.
“Tiger sharks eat everything,” Lubitz explained. “I’ve seen videos of them eating a rock for no reason.” But an echidna is also an unusual meal for a tiger shark. “I think the echidna felt a little strange in his throat,” the researcher noted of the incident.
More than 800 sharks equipped with tracking devices
As part of the research project, Lubitz equipped a total of 812 sharks, rays and other fish with tracking devices within four years to learn more about their migratory movements and other behaviors.
Source: Krone
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
