If you imagined that all sharks needed an entire ocean to look intimidating, this one practically fits in your pocket.
This is the American pocket shark (Mollisquama mississippiensis), a tiny species found in the depths of the Gulf of Mexico. The specimen studied measured just 14 centimeters, approximately enough to fit in the palm of one hand.
But its size is not the strangest thing about it. This small shark possesses structures capable of producing light: its skin has tiny photophores and, behind its pectoral fins, it has unusual “pocket”-shaped glands associated with the emission of a luminous fluid.
The specimen had been collected in 2010 during a scientific expedition, but several years of analysis had to pass before researchers determined that they were facing a different species and officially described it.
So yes: somewhere in the depths of the ocean, there is a shark measuring just 14 centimeters that looks like a toy and even has its own lighting system 🦈✨.