A new species of “demon” or “ghost” shark was found in the Western Australian Museum collection, according to an April journal article.
The new species of deepwater catshark was discovered at the museum after a more detailed investigation into its egg cases was conducted by a group of researchers, their work subsequently being published in the Journal of Fish and Biology. The species has been named Apristurus ovicorrugatus, due to the corrugated egg cases that led the researchers to their discovery.
The specimen of the pregnant shark had been lying in the museum’s collection for decades, LiveScience noted. Along with its unique egg cases, the shark has creepy white irises in its eyes, which are uncommon among deepwater species, hence the nickname “demon” or “ghost” shark.
Apristurus ovicorrugatus: une nouvelle espèce de requin d’eau profonde découverte grâce à l’étude de la morphologie de la coquille de l’œuf, par White et al dans J Fish Biol https://t.co/Zhdw7QvalC @ISYEB_umr #taxonomy @Le_Museum @Sorbonne_Univ_ @INEE_CNRS @UnivAntilles @EPHE_PSL pic.twitter.com/EwghbzC0on
— ISYEBsp (@ISYEBsp) May 2, 2023
“This is not a common feature for a deepwater species and only one other species, Apristurus nakayai from New Caledonia and PNG [Papua New Guinea] shares this character,” the study’s lead author Wil lWhite told LiveScience.
Most shark species give birth to live young, while the others lay eggs known colloquially as mermaid’s purses. “The egg cases possessed very distinctive longitudinal ridges on their surfaces which were T-shaped in cross-section,” White continued in his statement. “Only one other species in the world has been found to have egg cases with that form of ridging and that is a different genus entirely.” (RELATED: ‘This Is So Incredible’: Scientists Caught Footage Of Sharks ‘Walking’)
Following the discovery, the researchers asked members of the public to upload images of egg cases they may find to a global database, LiveScience reported. It’s hoped that the information contained on the site will let researchers identify common areas where sharks are breeding.