NIWA scientists in New Zealand have recently identified a new species of “ghost shark” that exclusively resides in the deep waters around Australia and New Zealand. The Australasian Narrow-nosed spookfish, now known as Harriotta avia, was named after the grandmother of one of the research team members.
Ghost sharks, also known as chimaeras, are related to sharks and rays but have cartilaginous skeletons. These mysterious creatures have haunting black eyes and smooth, scale-free skin. They feed off crustaceans at depths of up to 2,600 meters using their beak-like mouth.
The discovery of Harriotta avia was made during research in the Chatham Rise, an area in the Pacific Ocean east of New Zealand’s South Island. Research scientist Brit Finucci named the new species in honor of her grandmother, as “avia” means grandmother in Latin. She described the spookfish as having an elongated, narrow and depressed snout, long, slender trunk, large eyes, and very long, broad pectoral fins, with a lovely chocolate brown color.
Previously, the spookfish was thought to be a single globally distributed species, but genetic and morphological differences from its cousins have identified it as a unique species. Due to their habitat in the ocean floor and the challenges of studying and monitoring them, little is known about the biology or threat status of ghost sharks, making discoveries like Harriotta avia even more significant.
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