Aboard a research vessel off the coast of Thailand, scientists sorted through their catch. The trawling net had hauled up a “ghost”-like sea creature with peeling skin and “iridescent green” eyes.
It turned out to be a new species.
Researchers spent two weeks trawling the depths of the Andaman Sea in 2018, according to a study published March 6 in the journal Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. Their goal was to survey the deep-sea life in the area.
During the survey, researchers found a “ghost”-like fish with green eyes, the study said. At first, they identified the animal as a known species, but, after closer examination, they realized they’d discovered a new species: Chimaera supapae, or Andaman shortnose chimaera.
Chimaeras, also known as ghost sharks or ratfishes, are a group of cartilaginous fishes that live in the deep sea, more than 1,600 feet below the surface, the study said.
The Andaman shortnose chimaera has a “massive” head with “large,” “iridescent green” eyes and a “short,” “bluntly pointed” snout, researchers said. Its “thin” body is covered in peeling skin and ends in a thread-like tail.
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Only one immature Andaman shortnose chimaera was found, and the male measured 20 inches in length, the study said.
Researchers described the ghost shark’s live coloring as being “uniformly dark brown, without any spots or stripes.” A photo shows the new species.
Researchers said they named the new species after Supap Monkolprasit, a professor who “devoted her entire life to the study of cartilaginous fishes in Thailand” and died in 2013.
So far, only one Andaman shortnose chimaera has been found in the Andaman Sea about 100 miles off the western coast of Thailand, the study said.
The Andaman Sea is in the Indian Ocean and primarily along the coast of Myanmar and Thailand.
The new species was identified by its size, body shape, head, coloring and other physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 7.9% genetic divergence from other ghost shark species.
The research team included David Ebert, Tassapon Krajangdara, Fahmi and Jenny Kemper.
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David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
