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Pacific Sleeper Shark
Sleeper
Scientific Name Somniosus pacificus
Conservation Status Data Defficient
Family Chordata
Habitat North Pacific and Arctic Rim
Food Mollusks and Fish


The Pacific sleeper shark, Somniosus pacificus, is a sleeper shark of the family Somniosidae, found circumglobally on continental shelves and slopes in temperate waters between latitudes 70°N and 47°S, from the surface to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). Its length is up to 4.4 metres (14 ft), although FishBase accepts that it could possibly reach 7 metres (23 ft).

Pacific sleeper sharks can glide through the water with little body movement and little hydrodynamic noise making them successful predators. They feed by suction and cutting of their prey. They have large mouths that can inhale prey and their teeth cut up any pieces that are too large to swallow. Only the shark’s diet in Alaska has been studied - most sharks' stomachs contain remains of North Pacific Giant Octopus. They are also known to feed on bottom-dwelling teleost fishes as well as soles, flounders, pollocks, rockfishes, shrimps, hermit crabs, and even marine snails.

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