First records of the Pacific Sleeper shark Somniosus cf. pacificus in the western tropical Pacific.

Technological advances have enabled the expansion of ocean exploration to include the deep ocean, providing new species observations. Here, we present two new observations, captured by deep-sea cameras, of the sleeper shark Somniosus cf. pacificus from the Solomon Islands and Palau. This presents the first observation of S. cf. pacificus in the Western Pacific tropics and extends its range about 2000 nautical miles south. The observations presented here provide much needed information on the range of this species which can help guide future management and conservation actions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.