A deep-sea shark spawning ground has been discovered on Scotland's only inshore coral reef.
It was found by the team from Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University which discovered the reef itself.
They discovered egg cases of the blackmouth catshark on the Mingulay Reef in the Outer Hebrides.
Deepwater sharks have long been a draw for anglers in the area, but this is the first time their spawning grounds have been found in Scotland.
The Mingulay Reef is waiting to find out if the European Union will designate the site as a marine protected area.
The Heriot-Watt scientists believe this would be essential to help safeguard local sharks and the millions of pounds generated by recreational anglers who visit Scotland.
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