Scientists have found a new ghost shark that lives exclusively in the deep waters of Australia and New Zealand.
The Australasian Narrow-nosed Spookfish was described by NIWA Fisheries Scientist Dr Brit Finucci.
It was previously thought to be part of a single globally distributed species, until research revealed it is genetically and morphologically different to its cousins.
Dr Finucci gave it the scientific name Harriotta avia in memory of 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. Chimaeras are also rather ancient relatives – the grandmas and grandpas – of fish and I thought the name was well suited,” said Dr Finucci.
Ghost sharks, or chimaeras, are a group of cartilaginous fish closely related to sharks and rays. Other names for these mysterious animals include ratfish, rabbitfish and elephant fish.
They have smooth skin, free of scales, and feed off crustaceans such as shrimp and molluscs with their distinctive beak-like teeth.
“Harriotta avia is unique due to its elongated, narrow and depressed snout; long, slender trunk; large eyes; and very long, broad pectoral fins. It is a lovely chocolate brown colour.
“Ghost sharks like this one are largely confined to the ocean floor, living in depths of up to 2,600m. 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,” said Dr Finucci.
The specimens were collected in the Chatham Rise off New Zealand’s coast during research surveys for Fisheries New Zealand.
