Rare footage of so-called “alien” sharks in their natural habitat has been revealed by a wildlife biologist who was blown away to see the beasts off the coast of South Africa. Pyjama shark’s way of 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ing is rare and similar to a crocodile, as they death roll their prey instead of sawing with their teeth.

The aquatic animals are uniquely found in South Africa and hunt using their sense of smell while diving in the great African Sea forest. Wildlife biologist Forrest Galante spotted the sharks and thought they were fighting before he realise they were mating in the sea. It was the first time he had ever seen active shark mating.

“Look at how the male bites onto her and moves up her body, before inserting his clasper into his cloaca”, Forrest is heard saying in the video for a new TV show as part of Shark Week on Discovery. The narrator explains that if the mating is successful, the female will lay a fertilised egg on the seafloor and about six months later a young shark will emerge.

Pyjama sharks are only found in South Africa ( Image: Getty Images)

Pyjama sharks have their nickname because of their black and grey striped bodies and are a species of catsharks that can grow to roughly three feet long.

“I think we’re the first ones to ever record [pyjama sharks mating],” Galante told Live Science. He continued: “Honestly, just seeing it… I’m getting goosebumps thinking about it because it was such an amazing experience to see this first-hand.”

He said one of the camera operators had noticed the two sharks and thought they were fighting: “I saw the male grasped onto the female and I could see him starting to wind his body. So I knew immediately what they were doing.

“Then just as quickly as it started, you just see him let go and boom, they’re both gone. And that was it, it was all over.” The footage was taken in the only giant bamboo kelp forest on Earth, which stretches hundreds of miles from the tip of South Africa to Namibia.