A sand tiger shark's fins are critical for its mobility and ability to catch prey.

DelwareOnline.com is reporting that a team of graduate students found two sand tiger sharks with their fins removed in Delaware Bay. The students, from Delaware State University, had set out a multi-line hook as part of a shark research trip this past summer. On two separate occasions, sand tiger sharks (Carcharias taurus) were found with their fins removed.

In both cases, the sharks were still alive, despite having their fins removed. However, the article noted that their ability to survive would have been highly compromised after having their fins removed. Typically, sharks that are finned sink to the sea floor and drown. It is theorized that the sand tiger sharks might have survived the initial finning due to a unique ability to maintain neutral buoyancy by storing air.