Experts Get a Good, First-Time Video Shot of the Mysterious Painted Swellsharks in Their Natural Environment

Some creatures are so mysterious that even after decades of pursuit, experts face difficulty in spotting them. One such creature is the painted swellshark (Cephaloscyllium pictum), which to date has remained more or less elusive for experts, stated IFL Science. The only specimens, researchers had the opportunity to examine were dead and brought by fishermen to Indonesian markets for sale. This situation fortunately changed with a recent finding in Timor-Leste. The first-of-its-kind finding has been described in detail within the journal Oryx.

In the deep-sea of the country, experts captured what they believe to be live footage of the creature. This was the first time painted swellsharks had been recorded alive by researchers worldwide. The footage was captured off the coast of Dili.

One creature was captured on 17 November, 2024, and another the following day, stated Discover Wildlife. The species was seen in areas with steep rocky slopes, at depths of 570 and 536 metres respectively. They were spotted in an area of water, which is typically called the twilight zone. The name is such because only a small amount of light reaches that region. To identify the creatures, the team took the help of Dave Ebert, an expert famous worldwide for discovering unknown shark species and finding out more insights on rare ones. He confirmed that both specimens were indeed painted swellsharks.

Painted swellsharks have been described as being somewhat pale with dark and greyish spots, according to Mongabay. They were first identified in the early 2000s in fish markets. Its name was inspired by its painted appearance. Before the study, experts claimed that in the face of danger, the creatures could expand twice their size by swallowing water. The fish has been categorized as 'Data Deficient' on the IUCN Red List, because available insights on it are not enough to determine its population. The footage is invaluable because it provides ecological information about the species, which was previously not available.

In the first set of footage, the shark returned to the site several times. The second bit featured a female shark who interacted with the bait and also made many passes before the camera. The equipment was specially created by the National Geographic Exploration Technology Lab for deep-sea exploration. The camera technology could capture high-quality video even at a depth of 6,000 meters.

The reason painted swellsharks had never been spotted in the deep ocean of Timor-Leste is that experts had never ventured into it before. This was the first time they had gone into the waters to understand its existing ecosystem, and managed to capture footage of painted swellsharks. "To our knowledge, this species has never been observed in the wild, and little is known about its ecology, habitat, or behaviour," the authors said in the study. The discovery indicates that the ecosystem of Timor-Leste could be much more expansive, and there is potential to observe many more varied species. Further exploration could help authorities determine the required conservation efforts that need to be invested in the area.