A deep-sea shark spawning ground has been discovered in Scottish waters for the first time, according to marine biologists.
Egg cases of the blackmouth catshark have been found on the Mingulay Reef Complex in the Outer Hebrides.
Scientists from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh made the discovery while surveying the cold-water corals using a remotely operated vehicle. They said the shark nursery reinforces the need for the area to be granted marine protected status.
“It’s very exciting to find these spawning sites, as there’s still relatively little information about deep-sea sharks’ habitat across their life cycles,” said Dr Lea-Anne Henry, of the university.
“Our research at Mingulay and in even deeper Scottish waters is now revealing many close links between cold-water corals and the early life stages of sharks, skates and rays.
“The sharks are choosing these sites because they’re safe. The corals have lots of hard branches which deter predators, and laying them away from the current in lower parts of the seabed reduces the risk of eggs drifting away.
“The height of the coral means the eggs receive plenty of air and that they’re not suffocated by sediments and debris.”
Protecting the spawning sites of the species, also known as galeus melastomus, could also bring economic benefits, researchers say.
“Over 60% of sport anglers target catsharks when they fish this area, which brings in over £140 million to the Scottish economy each year,” Dr Henry said.