Categories: Science

Mysterious baby ghost shark found by New Zealand scientists

<p>
<strong>A team of marine biologists from New Zealand’s National institute of Water and Atmospheric Research accidentally struck gold when taking part in a trawl survey to estimate the number of hoki fish, they found a newly hatched baby ghost shark or chimaera as it is formally known.</strong></p>
<p>
This peculiar and elusive species of fish lives in the dark depths of the ocean.</p>
<p>
According to a NIWA press release this neonate or hatchling was found at a depth of 3,940 feet or 1,200 meters) on the Chatham Rise off the South Island east coast.</p>
<p>
In his statement in the release, the NIWA scientist, Brit Finucci, who was part of the expedition said: “You can tell this ghost shark recently hatched because it has a full belly of egg yolk. It’s quite astonishing. Most deep-water ghost sharks are known adult specimens; neonates are infrequently reported so we know very little about them.”</p>
<p>
Though distantly related to rays and sharks, the ghost sharks are not technically sharks. Called living fossils, they are cartilaginous, meaning their bodies are made stiff from plates and bits of bone-like cartilage rather than bones.</p>
<p>
Living in deep waters, they are rarely spotted and were first captured on video in 2016. It is estimated that 38 species of ghost shark exist in the world.</p>
<p>
Scientists will run physical tests and do a genetic analysis on the creature to find out about the species. According to Finucci, “Finding this ghost shark will help us better understand the biology and ecology of this mysterious group of deep-water fish.”</p>

IN Bureau

Recent Posts

Outdated infrastructure and transformer failures worsen electricity shortages in PoGB

The region of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) is enduring an escalating electricity crisis that continues to…

11 hours ago

Uyghur educational activist dies in custody of Chinese authorities

An Uyghur intellectual and education advocate, who was detained the night before his daughter's wedding…

14 hours ago

Create data-rich platform to benefit investigation officers: Amit Shah to NCRB

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has instructed the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) to develop…

14 hours ago

Brazil:163 workers rescued from “slave” like conditions from Chinese EV company BYD

Brazilian authorities have rescued 163 workers from conditions similar to "slavery" at a construction site…

15 hours ago

Water crisis worsens in PoJK as natural springs dry up

The water crisis in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) has reached alarming levels as natural…

15 hours ago

UK House of Lords members express concern over China’s human rights violations in Tibet

On the 40th anniversary of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, members of the UK House of…

16 hours ago