Shark caught off New York had chunk bitten out by an even bigger shark. See the photo

A mutilated shark captured alive off New York was likely attacked by an even bigger shark, according to the nonprofit Atlantic Shark Institute.

The exact size may never be known, but the culprit was big enough take a 6-foot porbeagle shark in its jaws and shake it like a rag doll before it was found in Montauk, evidence shows.

Porbeagles can grow to 12 feet and 500 pounds, and “do not have any known natural predators,” Oceana reports.

“There’s always a bigger fish in the ocean! ... And as this photo shows, even large sharks like porbeagles can still be lunch for something else,’ the institute wrote in an April 28 Instagram post.

“This porbeagle was attacked by a larger shark that inflicted some significant damage. You can see the classic crescent shape that most people would expect, near the tail end (posterior) of the shark.”

Even more telling is the gaping hole behind the shark’s dorsal fin, the post noted.

“It looks like the kind of damage a bite could inflict if the larger shark grasped the smaller one and shook its head,” the institute noted.

“Clearly, being a shark in the open ocean is not without risks.”

The wound was large, deep and still fresh when the shark was caught “this past season by Casey Mrachek,” officials said. It was released, and research indicates the wound will likely heal with remarkable speed.

Porbeagles are known for their muscular bodies, with adults preying mostly on mackerel, herring, hake, cod and dogfish, experts say.

“Unlike its larger relatives in the white shark family, porbeagle sharks do not prey on marine mammals,” Oceana says.

Montauk is about a 100-mile drive east of New York City.

This story was originally published April 30, 2024 at 7:20 AM with the headline "Shark caught off New York had chunk bitten out by an even bigger shark. See the photo."