At a depth of 1.2 kilometres off the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island, a recently hatched ghost shark was discovered.
The “strange discovery” was discovered by a team of researchers from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) who were conducting a trawl survey of the underwater communities at the Chatham Rise. Because the young shark’s tummy was still full of egg yolk, scientists believe it had just hatched.
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The ghost shark is a deep-water animal comparable to sharks and rays. It’s also known as a chimaera, and these creatures are incredibly unusual to come across. Their bodies give them a ghostly, ethereal look, earning them the name “ghost shark.”
Take a look at this:
By far my favourite find of the trip! 👻🦈
A neonate ghost #shark👻🦈, recently hatched (evident by its belly full of egg yolk). Found at 1200 m+ depth. pic.twitter.com/4IZKHLFmjI
— Brit Finucci (@BritFinucci) February 8, 2022
A fisheries scientist at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric, and a member of the team Brit Finucci, told the media, “Deepwater species are generally hard to find, and like ghost sharks, in particular, they tend to be quite cryptic, so we just don’t see them very often.”
According to Finucci, the exact species of the ghost shark discovered by the scientists is unclear, and more tests and genetic study would be required.
Dr Finucci stated in a statement on NIWA website, “From better-studied chimaera species, we know that juveniles and adults can have different dietary and habitat requirements. Juveniles also look dissimilar to adults, having distinctive colour patterns. Finding this ghost shark will help us better understand the biology and ecology of this mysterious group of deep-water fish.”
