It Turns Out Sharks Make Noises, and Here's What They Sound Like

Sharks have long been believed to be silent, stalking their prey and wolfing them down without comment. They're ruthless and efficient. But a team of marine biologists in New Zealand are challenging that assumption. In a new study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the researchers report that they've recorded the first ever instance of a shark actively producing a sound, in the form of sharp, abrupt clicks. The sharks that produced the noise were rig sharks, a species which are common to the coastal waters of New Zealand. Locals often refer to the relatively small sharks, which grow up to five feet long, as "lemon fish" (not to be confused with much more formidable lemon sharks) — or simply "rigs." Lead author Carolin Nieder said that she made the discovery while handling the rig sharks during her research into their hearing capabilities. "At first we had no idea what it was because sharks were not supposed to make any sounds," Nieder, who works at the famed Woods ... Read full article.