Sharks are famous for being carnivores, or meat eaters. But scientists recently discovered that the diet of one shark species, called the bonnethead shark, also includes plants. That makes these sharks omnivores—the first omnivorous sharks ever discovered!
Scientists already knew that bonnethead sharks eat seagrass along with the squid and shrimp they gobble up on the ocean floor. But the researchers wanted to know if the sharks actually get nutrients from eating the plants. To find out, they fed five captive sharks a diet of mostly seagrass. Then the scientists analyzed the animals’ blood and droppings. They found that the sharks digested about half of the seagrass they ate.
Now the researchers want to look for other omnivorous sharks. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we find more,” says study leader Samantha Leigh.