White sharks have their heads torn

Researchers speculate that sharks may catch head bites by scrambling for mates or trying to mate with larger sharks.

OCEARCH , the international white shark research organization, on October 14 shared a photo of a shark caught in the North Atlantic. Named Vimy , a 4 meter long shark weighing 544kg was attacked by a larger fellow. The picture shows Vimy having a long, deep new tear that has blood on her head and a scar under her jaw. The team posted photos with the caption, "The world of the white shark is very harsh. If you need proof, look at the head of the white shark Vimy."

Picture 1 of White sharks have their heads torn
Vimy shark and head wound.(Photo: Fox).

Scientists tagged satellite tracking for a total of 11 sharks on an expedition to the province of Nova Scotia to study their habitat. Chris Fischer, president and founder of OCEARCH, said that according to the bite and the size of the jaw, the attacker could be at least 0.6 meters longer than Vimy.

Most likely Vimy was caught up in a war for mates with other males or it sought to mate with the larger female shark and get bitten. The bite may provide evidence to help the team figure out exactly where the white sharks mate in the North Atlantic.

"We all know copulation in sharks is very violent. Sharks bite each other's head is not new. This happens every day of their lives , " Fischer said.

However, some cases of sharks eat smaller offspring of the same species. The phenomenon of cannibal sharks is more common than people think, according to Michael Heithaus, a professor of biology at Florida International University. For some large sharks such as buffalo sharks, hammerhead sharks and tiger sharks, the smaller species are their favorite prey.

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