New species of ghost shark found on ocean floor by New Zealand researchers
Scientists have discovered a new species of ghost shark at the bottom of the ocean near New Zealand.
The Australasian Narrow-nosed Spookfish was found in the Chatham Rise, an area of ocean floor off the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island by researchers from the country's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).
Dr Brit Finucci, a fisheries scientist at the institute, said the species - also known as Harriotta avia - is a "lovely chocolate brown colour".
“Harriotta avia is unique due to its elongated, narrow and depressed snout; long, slender trunk; large eyes; and very long, broad pectoral fins," she described.
Ghost sharks are mostly confined to living on the sea bed at depths of up to 2,600 metres (8,530 feet), presenting challenges for researchers.
Dr Finucci continued: "Their habitat makes them hard to study and monitor, meaning we don’t know a lot about their biology or threat status, but it makes discoveries like this even more exciting."
The ghost shark, scientifically known as chimaera, is a deep water animal closely related to sharks and rays.
They are mostly made up of cartilage and their embryos grow in egg capsules laid on the sea floor. Once hatched, they feed off crustaceans such as shrimp and molluscs, according to NIWA.
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Dr Finucci said that she named the new species after her grandmother.
“Avia means grandmother in Latin. I wanted to give this nod to her because she proudly supported me through my career as a scientist,” she said.
The discovery comes after a newly-hatched ghost shark was found in 2022 by a research team which Dr Finucci was part of.
The rare find was made at a depth of around 1,200 meters (about 3,900 feet).
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