For the first time, scientists have recorded the sounds made by sharks, as reported. new study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science
The research, released on Wednesday, revealed that the rig shark — which is also called the spotted estuary smoothhound — generates clicking noises when it is handled, as stated in the study.
"Sharks might be more vocal than previously believed," said Carolin Nieder, a marine biologist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the principal investigator of the study, during an interview with ABC News.
Nieder mentioned that the sounds were found "by chance" while she was engaged in another research project examining the auditory abilities of sharks during her doctoral studies at the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
She mentioned that she had never thought about her studied sharks producing any kind of noise. She believed that sharks were quiet creatures and would not emit intentional sounds.
Nieder snagged seven rag sharks in New Zealand’s Kaipara Harbour, acquired an additional three from a nearby commercial fisher, and kept them all at a marine lab in “circulating-flow tanks,” according to the report.
FURTHER: Two buddies harmed in a shark incident in the Bahamas share their experienceFollowing a period of adaptation lasting at least seven days, the sharks were moved from their holding tank to an experimental tank for the handling procedures as mentioned in the study.
While being handled, the rigs were "noticed to inadvertently generate clicking noises beneath the water."
Typically, the sharks generated "nine clicks during handling underwater" within a span of 20 seconds, according to the study, with a notably higher number of clicks occurring particularly in the initial 10-second period.
According to the study, the total click duration lasted merely 48 milliseconds.
Seventy percent of the clicks happened during "calm swaying," twenty-five percent were associated with "vigorous bending of the head and body from side to side," and five percent took place without noticeable bodily movements, according to the study.
The initial handling sets off a stress-induced startled reaction, causing an increase in clicking behavior. However, as the sharks grow more familiar with being handled, this behavioral response tends to decrease, which explains why the number of clicks declines gradually over time, according to the study.
FURTHER: American swimmer Ali Truwit secured a silver medal at the Paralympics just one year following her leg amputation due to a shark attack.Nieder mentioned that the rig is a smaller species of shark and is susceptible to being preyed upon. He suggested that perhaps when such a small shark faces an attack, these clicks might confuse the predator momentarily, allowing the shark a chance to flee.
Nieder informed ABC News that the rig shark can generate this clicking noise because of its flattened teeth, which are different from those found in other types of sharks.
Neil Hammerschlag, the president of Atlantic Shark Expeditions—who wasn’t involved in this research—mentioned that he has “often believed these creatures must possess a method for communicating via sounds.”
"The notion that certain sharks produce sounds is thrilling to me since it implies they might utilize this as a means of communication. It paves the way for further investigation," Hammerschlag stated to ABC News.
Nieder aims for this preliminary finding to encourage further investigation into shark-related studies, hoping that more individuals will become "interested in questioning prevailing ideas and continue paying attention to other creatures and life forms considered uncommunicative."