A new species of ghost shark, known as the Australasian Narrow-nosed Spookfish, has been discovered in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean off Australia and New Zealand. This species was found during research surveys in the Chatham Rise, displaying distinctive features such as a long and narrow snout, broad pectoral fins, scale-free skin, and beak-like teeth. Ghost sharks, also known as chimaeras, are cartilaginous fish closely related to sharks and rays, feeding off crustaceans on the ocean floor up to 2,600 meters deep.
The newly discovered species was named Harriotta avia by NIWA Fisheries scientist Brit Finucci, in memory of her grandmother. Previous research had considered ghost sharks to be a single globally distributed species, but genetic and morphological differences revealed the need for separate species classification. Despite being better studied compared to other ghost sharks, much remains unknown about their lifespan, population size, and role in the ecosystem.
Ghost sharks are poorly understood due to their remote living environment and cryptic nature, making them a fascinating subject for further research. The discovery of the Australasian Narrow-nosed Spookfish highlights the ongoing discoveries of new species in our oceans, emphasizing the need for continued exploration and understanding of marine life. Finucci emphasized the importance of ongoing research to unravel the mysteries of ghost sharks and their role in the deep-sea ecosystem.
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