Every single natural history observation, internal visualization and anatomical investigation shows us things we could not have guessed at,вЂќ Summers said. вЂњThe vast majority of shark species, and the majority of their physiology, are completely unknown. Knowing how sharks process what they eat, and how they excrete waste, is important for understanding the larger ecosystem. Credit: Samantha Leigh/California State University Dominguez HillsД«ecause sharks are top predators in the ocean and also eat a lot of different things - invertebrates, fish, mammals and even seagrass - they naturally control the biodiversity of many species, the researchers said. This video shows the 3D image of a Pacific spiny dogfish (Squalus suckleyi) spiral intestine. The slowed movement of food through their gut caused by the spiral intestine probably allows sharks to retain their food longer, and they also use less energy processing that food. Most sharks usually go days or even weeks between eating large meals, so they rely on being able to hold food in their system and absorb as many nutrients as possible, Leigh explained. This finding could shed new light on how sharks eat and process their food. Its function resembles the one-way valve designed by Nikola Tesla more than a century ago that allows fluid to flow in one direction, without backflow or assistance from any moving parts. It appears these spiral-shaped organs slow the movement of food and direct it downward through the gut, relying on gravity in addition to peristalsis, the rhythmic contraction of the gutвЂ™s smooth muscle. Credit: Samantha Leigh/California State University Dominguez HillsДЇrom their scans, the researchers discovered several new aspects about how shark intestines function.

A CT scan image of a smooth dogfish shark (Mustelus canis) spiral intestine, shownДЇrom the top looking down.

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