A warm-blooded shark. It is a predator that does not slow down when the water gets cold. The porbeagle is closely related to the great white and mako. It shares their ability to elevate body temperature above the surrounding water. This adaptation allows it to hunt efficiently in cold, northern waters. Other sharks slow down and become sluggish there. The name comes from its porpoise-like shape. It also refers to its beagle-like hunting persistence. A shark that never gives up. The porbeagle is powerful and fast. It is built for pursuit. It hunts fish, squid and crustaceans throughout the water column. This ranges from surface to seafloor. Sharp teeth grab slippery prey. A streamlined body cuts through the water with minimal effort. It prefers cold, productive waters near current boundaries. It favours seamounts and upwelling zones where food concentrates. A shark that knows where to look. In New Zealand, porbeagles are found in the cold southern seas. They inhabit waters around the South Island and the subantarctic islands. They are most common off the east coast of the South Island. And around the Chatham Rise. Global populations have declined significantly due to overfishing. The species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. In New Zealand it is caught as bycatch in tuna longline fisheries. A shark that is losing ground. Slow reproduction makes porbeagles vulnerable to any fishing pressure. They take decades to reach breeding age. They produce few young. Quotas and catch limits apply in New Zealand waters. But better data collection is needed for accurate stock assessments of Southern Hemisphere populations. A warm-blooded shark with a beagle's persistence. It fights for survival in a changing ocean. The longline sets. The porbeagle takes the bait. It fights, but the hook holds. It comes up, warm-blooded and strong. Then it dies on the deck. It does not know why. It was just hunting. In Māori tradition, the Porbeagle has no widely recorded name. This is likely because it lives in deep, cold southern waters. It was far beyond the reach of traditional fishing methods. Today it is known primarily through commercial bycatch data. Deep-sea researchers and fishing crews are its main observers. The species remains a distant part of the marine ecosystem. Mana whenua observe these offshore environments with interest. The health of these waters is linked to broader oceanic systems.