Wellington, (TDI): New Zealand scientists have identified a new species of “ghost shark,” also known as the Australasian Narrow-nosed Spookfish, lurking in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean.
The remarkable discovery was made by researchers from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), based in Wellington.
The elusive spookfish was found prowling the ocean floor in the Chatham Rise, a stretch of the Pacific Ocean located approximately 1,000 kilometers east of New Zealand’s South Island.
These creatures, part of a group called chimaeras, are closely related to sharks and rays but differ in that their skeletons are composed entirely of cartilage.
Known for their ghostly appearance, spookfish have haunting black eyes, smooth scale-free skin, and a distinctive light brown color.
They feed on crustaceans at extreme depths—up to 2,600 meters—using their specialized beak-like mouths to hunt in the pitch-black abyss of the ocean floor.
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“Ghost sharks like this one are largely confined to the ocean floor, making them challenging to study,” said NIWA research scientist Brit Finucci.
“Their deep-sea habitat keeps them hidden from view, leaving us with many unanswered questions about their biology and conservation status. However, discoveries like this bring a thrill of excitement to marine science.”
Finucci, who played a key role in identifying the new species, named it Harriotta avia in honor of her grandmother.
The spookfish was previously believed to belong to a single, globally distributed species, but further genetic and morphological analysis revealed significant differences between it and its relatives.
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The discovery sheds new light on the mysterious and largely uncharted deep-sea ecosystems where ghost sharks reside.
While much remains to be learned about these enigmatic creatures, the identification of Harriotta avia is a step forward in understanding the biodiversity of the ocean’s depths.
