New Zealand scientists have reported the finding of a new species of “ghost shark,” or spookfish, that lurks around on the Pacific Ocean floor.
Harriotta avia, a recently discovered species, was discovered more than a mile below the surface while conducting study in the Chatham Rise, a large Pacific region located around 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) east of the South Island of New Zealand.
The ghost sharks are a kind of fish that have cartilage-only skeletons. They are related to sharks and rays. Spookfish are distinguished by their unique black eyes and smooth, scale-free light brown skin, which gives them an eerie look. They can eat crustaceans at depths of up to 2,600 meters (8,530 ft) because to their beak-like mouths.
