Researchers tagging marine animals near Orpheus Island, Australia, were surprised when a captured tiger shark regurgitated a spiny echidna. Known for their indiscriminate diet, tiger sharks seemingly eat almost anything, but this encounter proved challenging even for them.
“I’ve seen videos of them eating a rock for no reason,” said Nicolas Lubitz, a former James Cook University PhD student who led the tagging expedition, in a university statement. “In this case, I think the echidna must have just felt a bit funny in its throat.”
Lubitz captured a single photo of the event. The shark is the large grey mass on the left, while the echidna is the darker blob near the bottom center. For context, a separate image of an echidna is included below to illustrate the shark’s prickly predicament. Swallowing a spiky creature that can grow up to two feet (61 centimeters) long is certainly unusual, even for a tiger shark.
An echidna, covered in spines.Alt: A close-up of an echidna, showcasing its spiny exterior, highlighting the difficulty for a predator to swallow it whole. Photo: Wildlifecartoons
Echidnas are known to swim in shallow waters between islands, which likely explains how this one encountered the shark. To a tiger shark, which can grow up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) long and weigh 2,000 pounds (nearly a ton), the echidna probably appeared as a manageable snack. The shark in question was approximately 10 feet (3 meters) long. Tiger sharks are notorious for consuming almost anything, with past discoveries including license plates, tires, and even other sharks in their stomachs.
The regurgitated echidna was dead, though the cause of death wasn’t specified. However, its intact body suggests it was swallowed whole. Remarkably, the shark appeared unharmed by the ordeal and swam away after being fitted with an acoustic tracker. Another tiger shark tagged by the same team also regurgitated half a dugong, further demonstrating their adventurous eating habits. While their willingness to try new foods is commendable, perhaps a bit more dining etiquette wouldn’t go amiss.
The researchers also noted that another tagged tiger shark regurgitated part of a dugong. These sharks certainly have adventurous palates!
