Ghost shark is a deep water fish. The picture above is not of the actual discovery.
According to the BBC report, New Zealand scientists have discovered a small fish species living in the shady depths of the ocean. The BBC report further stated that the newly hatched ghost shark was sighted at a depth of 1.2 kilometers off the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island.
Also known as chimera, this species is rarely seen. Scientists cited by the BBC said it is even rarer to find ghost shark chicks because they hatch from eggs laid on the ocean floor.
Dr Britt Finucci, a member of the team, called it a “neat discovery”, adding that the discovery was by accident. Dr Finucci, who works as a fisheries scientist at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, said baby ghost sharks usually hatch from egg capsules laid on the ocean floor.
Members of his team said the discovery would help them better understand the early stages of a mysterious group of deep-water fish.
“Deepwater species are generally hard to find, and especially like the ghost shark, they are quite enigmatic,” Finucci told the BBC.
She said that the fish had recently hatched because its stomach was still filled with egg yolk.
Marine biologists have been studying ghost sharks for years, trying to understand their behavior and feeding habits. Baby ghost sharks live in very different habitats and can have different diets.
What are the scientists planning to do now?
Finucci said his team will take samples of tissues and random genetics to better understand the species. “We’ll also do morphometrics or a whole bunch of body measurements,” she further told the BBC.
What are ghost sharks?
These are cartilaginous creatures similar to sharks and rays. The cartilaginous nature of their skeletons gives them a formidable, supernatural quality.
Ghost sharks mostly eat mollusks and insects on the ocean floor.
An adult ghost shark can grow up to 2 meters in length and is found all over the world. Only a few of these fish are found in shallow coastal waters.
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