A baby ghost shark has just been discovered by a team of scientists off the coast of New Zealand. This is a rare event, because this species, also called a troll Chimera, is difficult to observe, due to its place of life: the depths of the oceans. This specimen was recovered on February 8 at a depth of 1.2 kilometers near South Island reports the BBCrelayed by the HuffPost.
This baby ghost shark was discovered by chance as scientists were doing other research on underwater populations in New Zealand’s deep waters. “Deep-sea species are generally hard to find, and like ghost sharks in particular, they tend to be quite secretive,” Dr Brit Finucci told the BBC.
Young unrecognized individuals
The specimen they brought up is young, because its belly was full of egg yolks. Troll Chimera embryos develop in egg capsules deposited on the seabed and feed on yolk until hatching. This discovery will make it possible to learn more about this species of cartilaginous fish between the shark and the ray, especially on the youngest individuals that scientists have not had many opportunities to study.
Small ghost sharks are distinct from adults. “Cubs can live in very different habitats, they can have a different diet, they can even look very different from adults,” says the scientist. Many analyzes will be performed on the specimen to inform scientists about the species they are dealing with.