A paper published on Tuesday details the porbeagle shark predation for the first time.

Porbeagle sharks grow up to 12 feet in length as they patrol the North Atlantic Ocean (and parts of the Southern Hemisphere). According to Because they are an endangered species, researchers are using Pop-Off Satellite Archival Tags (PSATs) to monitor their movements and behavior, according to Live Science. study The findings were published in the marine science journal Frontiers in Marine Science.

You can imagine the surprise of the scientists studying this data when a pregnant porbeagle began behaving strangely in Bermuda's waters: The PSAT tag “continued to move up and down in the water column, even hundreds of metres deep, where the water temperature remained about 5°C higher than the surrounding water level, suggesting that it was being eaten.” (Related article: Scientists discover shark species with human-like teeth)

The big porbeagle shark was eaten by something. But what could eat a shark that was already that big?

Very large shark swallowed by another giant shark – the first case of its kind https://t.co/4R7UtMpNGI

— Live Science (@LiveScience) September 3, 2024

A really huge shark.

“Predation by pregnant porbeagle sharks was an unexpected discovery,” lead author Brooke Anderson said in a statement shared by Live Science. “Large sharks are often thought of as apex predators, but advances in technology are showing us that interactions with large predators may be even more complex than previously thought.” (Related: Fossils detail the horrific deaths of ancient animals)

Rising temperatures in potential predation areas and at depth could affect great white sharks and Mako Shark Shark. Scientists believe the killer is likely a great white shark, as the movement of PSAT in a predator's stomach is a better indicator of shark behavior.

I think we're going to need a bigger PSAT.