A show performer dressed as a mermaid learned the hard way recently that sharing an aquarium tank with enormous sturgeon is not safe.
The accompanying footage, captured in China, shows the mermaid performing gracefully in front of an audience that included children when the sturgeon briefly sucked her head into its mouth.
The woman, clearly startled but remaining somewhat graceful, ascended without further incident.
However, according to the Daily Mail, the 22-year-old performer, who is from Russia, suffered injuries to her face, neck, and eye. She apparently was instructed back into the water despite her injuries.
The Daily Mail did not identify the type of fish, and some on social media claimed it was a shark.
But on Wednesday, renowned shark expert Michael Domeier clarified the issue, explaining via Instagram: “This is going around today. Yes, it really happened, but it’s not a shark. In fact, it’s a freshwater giant: Sturgeon.”
Adult sturgeon are toothless bottom feeders and not considered dangerous to humans in the wild. But they’re large and powerful and warrant respect.
As the footage shows, they’re able to extend their mouths considerably while feeding, usually on the bottom like a vacuum cleaner.
It’s unclear why the sturgeon went after the mermaid, but it seemed to steal the goggles from her head.
