Researchers have discovered a new species of “ghost shark” that lives only in the deep waters around Australia and New Zealand.
The Australasian narrow-nosed spookfish has a long, pointed nose, as its name suggests, too bulging black eyes. The creature has “chocolate brown” skin and a long, wiry tail, according to New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.
Ghost sharks, officially known as chimaeras, have smooth skin and no scales. “They have distinctive, beaked teeth,” NIWA said, and mainly feed on shrimp and molluscs.
These animals live in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, NIWA scientist Brit Finucci said it’s hard to read. A ghost shark was caught on camera swimming off the coast of California in 2017. The specimens studied by NIWA to make this identification were found during another Fisheries New Zealand survey.
NIWA
“The environment they live in makes them difficult to study and monitor, which means we don’t know much about their biology or their threat status, but it makes a discovery like this even more exciting,” said Finucci.
The specimens found were thought to belong to a species that can be found worldwide, but research has revealed that the Australasian narrow-nosed spookfish is “genetically and morphologically distinct from its cousin,” NIWA said.
Finucci gave these species the scientific name “Harriotta by plane” respecting his grandmother.
“Avia means grandmother in Latin; I wanted to give a nod to her because she proudly supported me in my work as a scientist,” said Finucci. “Chimaeras are also ancient relatives – grandparents – of fish and I thought the name was well suited.”