Mysterious new species: ‘ghost’ shark found in Australia

In April of this year, a publication stated that, in Australia, there was a very interesting discovery for the animal kingdom, because they found a new species of shark, which came to be called the “ghost” shark.

However, its scientific name is Apristurus ovicorrugatusname with Latin origins. Apristurus ovicorrugatus means nothing more than egg, from “ovi”, wrinkled, a term that comes from the word “corrugatus”.

The reason why this species received this name comes from a previous discovery, when a female of the same origin appeared dead on a beach in Australia, surprising everyone, and her eggs were wrinkled.

However, at that time, there was no knowledge that it belonged to a new species. This news came out in the magazine Journal of Fish Biology.

In turn, this species has a very interesting characteristic. This is because the animal has white irises, capable of shining. You can check out the image of the animal below:

One of the people involved in the study of this new species commented on this striking characteristic. According to Will White, who works for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, this characteristic is only found in one other species.

“This is not a common feature for a deep-sea species, and only one other species, Apristurus nakayaifrom New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea, shares this characteristic”he said.

Unlike anything ever seen before

The “ghost shark,” also known as the “demon shark,” is a famous species that belongs to the lineage of catsharks. However, it stands out from other land sharks due to one unique characteristic: the way its young are “incubated.”

While most sharks reproduce through eggs, the “ghost” shark is also oviparous, but its eggs are located in a special structure called a “mermaid’s purse”.

These bags have tentacles that facilitate attachment to algae or rocks, providing a suitable environment for the development of eggs.

Featured image: Wikipedia/©Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0/Reproduction