Over the weekend, marine biologist Prof. Alan Deidun shared a photo of quite an unusual sight – a rare angular roughshark that was saved from a rockpool near the coast of Gozo – a rescue made possible by the quick thinking of three nature-loving individuals.

Locally known as ‘pixxiporku’ or, curiously, ‘ġurdien’ (which means ‘mouse’ in Maltese), this odd-looking deep-sea shark found itself trapped in shallow waters after strong currents swept it inland. That’s when Tom Sprang, Ewelina Wojcik, and Job Buddenburg stepped in – helping the struggling creature find its way back to the open sea.

Despite its rarity, the angular roughshark comes with a superstitious reputation. Traditionally seen as a bad omen, fishermen who catch it often spit on the shark before tossing it back into the water – a belief that has followed this species for generations.

Prof. Deidun praised the group for their swift action and compassion, which saved the shark from a distressing situation – well done!

Have you ever seen one of these little sharks?