According to a study, shark species that can now glow in the dark have been found in New Zealand

The three deepwater shark types, the kitefin shark, the blackbelly lanternshark and the southern lanternshark, were found off the east coast of New Zealand back in January 2020.

This is the first study from the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, to find bioluminescence, the phenomenon of emitting light, in large shark species.

Around 76% of marine organisms are bioluminescent.

It is thought the glowing nature of these sharks may allow them to hide from predators in their habitat known as the twilight zone, which offers them no place to camouflage themselves or hide from threats.

The evolving trait in marine life can also help underwater creatures to communicate and to find prey.