A rare species of shark has been discovered swimming off the coast of Scotland for the first time in more than a decade.
The false catshark, also known as a sofa shark, was found by scientists conducting a deep sea survey with Marine Scotland in Vidal Bank, about 50 nautical miles from the isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides.
It can reach up to 9ft in length and has long, narrow eyes, a large mouth and a broad head with a short, rounded snout.
Its association with a sofa is a result of its soft features, which include large flabby muscles and an oily liver, which makes up 25% of its total weight.
It is the second time the shark has been spotted on the Vidal Bank, with the last sighting in 2000.
The slow-moving predator has tiny teeth and normally eats bony fishes like eels, squid and shrimp.
Marine biologist Francis Neat was surprised to catch the shark during a survey on the west coast.
He said: “I was pretty surprised when it landed in our boat. We quickly measured and weighed it before sending it back into the water.
“It’s not unique to Scotland but is certainly interesting to look at.
“It’s a big and baggy looking creature. It looks a lot like a soft, discarded sofa when it’s just lying there.”
At the moment, there are 72 different types of shark living in Scottish waters.
The species are rarely encountered but have been spotted in locations around the world, including the western Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean.
A spokesman for the Scottish Shark Tagging programme said the species was a welcome addition to their list.
He said: “We’ve never seen this type of shark in Scotland before and it’s great to add it to our long list of species in Scotland.
“Not too long ago we were told that there was only 32 different types of shark in Scottish waters but in the past year we’ve learned that there are actually 72 different species, many of which are in deep water.”
Environment secretary Richard Lochhead said: “It is great to see such a rare shark in Scottish waters, which has only been spotted here once before.”