New species of 'ghost shark' discovered in New Zealand waters

The British BBC reported that New Zealand scientists have discovered a new species of "ghost shark," a rare type of fish that is extremely difficult to detect.

Also known as "phantoms" or "chimeras," ghost sharks are closely related to sharks and rays. They do not have scales, and their skeletons are made entirely of cartilage. For the scientific community, ghost sharks are a mystery primarily because of their environment—usually at great depths, up to 8530 feet. The new species described by scientists from New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) is no different: Harriota avia.

"Their habitat makes them hard to study and monitor, meaning we don't know a lot about their biology or threat status," said Dr. Brit Finucci in an interview with the BBC, adding that discovering a new species is exciting.

Scientists from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) reported that they found a Harriota avia specimen east of the New Zealand coast in an area of the Pacific Ocean floor known as the Chatham Rise.

Initially, scientists thought that the observed fish belonged to a previously known species found worldwide. However, closer studies revealed that it genetically differs from its cousins and lives exclusively in waters near Australia and New Zealand.

The most distinctive feature of Harriota avia is its exceptionally long snout, which can make up even half the length of the fish's body.

Dr. Brit Finucci admitted that the name she devised for the species also has personal significance for her.

"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," explained the researcher.