Whale killer slaughter white sharks

In 2023, the body of a white shark stranded on the coast near Portland in Victoria, Australia, immediately attracted the attention of the media and science. The animal hunted at the top of this table was slaughtered and livered. At that time, the researchers were sure they knew what had killed the shark but could not confirm. However, now, DNA analysis results are taken from their suspected confirmation. The assassin whales are hunting white sharks off Australia, according to research published on January 27 Ecology and Evolution.

Assassin whale (Orcinus orca) Observed to eat many different shark species in the past few years and white sharks have also been on the list. For example, a pair of assassin whales in South Africa behind a series of shark murder hunting in 2022 and 2023, becoming famous for their new feeding habits. The camera even records them together to defeat the prey.

Therefore, when the body of a large white shark drifted into the beach near Portland in 2023, it provides a unique opportunity to analyze the bite and learn the culprit. According to Isabella Reeves, PhD student at Phuong Nam Shark Ecological Organization and Australian Western Mammal Research Center (CETREC) of Flinders University, shark body lost liver, digestive organs And breeding, there are 4 separate bites, including the characteristic bite for the liver of the killer whale, similar to what observed in South Africa.

“The sample is taken from the bite on the body of the white shark and the existing genetic material sequence from the predator. , in which 3 other wounds reveal DNA from sharks 7 with wide muzzles to eat rotten corpses. their.

Reeves and colleagues use wildlife techniques to confirm animals responsible for handling and eating shark liver. Two days before finding the shark body on the beach, residents saw some assassin whales, including two individuals nicknamed “Bent Tip” and “Ripple”, capturing large prey in Bridgewater Bay.

This is not the first time the whale assassin hunts sharks in Australia. Earlier, they were recorded in the hunt for blue sharks (Prionace Glauca), Porbeagles sharks (Lamna Nasus), Short Mako Sharks (Isurus Oxyrinchus), Shark (Galeorhinus Galeus), and Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo Cuvier) . However, until now, the intentional of the liver in white sharks in this sea has been confirmed.

In 2015, killer whales were caught in interaction with a white shark in Hai Duong Park Neptune archipelago in South Australia, despite leaked oil streaks (signs of successful killing), the victim’s body has never now appear. In other places like South Africa and California, the hunting activities of killer whales lead to disorders in the local shark population. According to Miller, white shark is a key coordination species, affecting the structure and function of the marine ecosystem. Therefore, we should protect the animal hunting the top of this table.