Starback shark (SciiFii)

The starback shark (Thalassoastera poggers) is a species of mackerel shark, most closely related to the basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus), that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the world's oceans to help boost biodiversity. The starback sharks grow to enormous sizes feeding mostly on the sheer abundance of lanternfish in the deep sea. The starback sharks grow on average of around 32 meters (104 feet) long, but some specimens can grow up to 40 meters (131 feet) long, making the starback sharks as some of the largest animals on Earth, bigger than even the biggest blue whales. Other than their smaller relatives, the basking sharks, starback sharks spend the day in the mesopelagic zone and below. At night, they follow the lanternfish swarms to the upper water column layers. Not many specimens have been observed in the wild. The bioluminescent spots on the starback sharks are used to attract the sharks' main source of food, lanternfish, and to camouflage themselves as a swarm of lanternfish. However, the bioluminescent spots also serve to attract a mates. The conservation status of the starback shark is Vulnerable due to some pollution and, historically, poaching, however, thanks to the conservationists, the starback sharks are a protected species.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii