Scientists have discovered a new species of the rare “ghost shark” off the coast of New Zealand. Experts noted that the new fish is physically and genetically different from other species, while also indicating that the likelihood of humans encountering ghost sharks is low.
PHYSICALLY AND GENETICALLY DIFFERENT
According to reports from New Zealand media, scientists from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) found a new fish species in the Chatham Rise, approximately 1,000 kilometers east of the country’s South Island.
Researchers revealed that this newly identified fish, belonging to the rare “ghost shark” genus and named “Harriotta avia,” is “physically and genetically different” from other species.
NIWA scientist Brit Finucci stated that this newly discovered fish, believed to have existed for hundreds of millions of years, has a cartilaginous skeleton, large eyes, and fins, and unlike most fish, it lacks a pulse.
Finucci expressed that the chances of humans encountering ghost sharks, which live at a depth of about 2,600 meters on the ocean floor, are low. “Their habitats make it difficult to study and observe them. This means we know very little about their biology or threat status, but it makes the discoveries even more exciting,” he said.
Source: AA