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A young Swell Shark portraying its Biofluorescence

Swellshark

Fish / Cephaloscyllium ventriosum

On Exhibit

COMING SOON: Scuttlebutt Reef

This animal is coming to the new Scuttlebutt Reef gallery opening in March 2026!

More on Scuttlebutt Reef

To the human eye, Swellsharks and Chain Catsharks look unremarkably brown. But when viewing each other with their specially adapted eyes, these sharks glow neon green. Researchers have found that the contrast of the patterns that appear when the sharks glow becomes more pronounced in deeper water. This could indicate the sharks are using biofluorescence as way to communicate as well as to identify each other.

When threatened, Swellsharks grab their tail fin with their mouth then swallow a large amount of water, swelling its body to twice its normal size.