Ultra-rare baby ghost shark sighted in New Zealand

Discovered approximately 1200m under water, the very rare sighting of this perculiar looking creature has scienitists thrilled.

A newly hatched ghost shark has been sighted off the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island, in a discovery that has delighted experts.

A fisheries scientist at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Dr Brit Finucci said it was one of the few sightings of the baby ghost shark as they normally hatch from egg capsules laid on the sea floor. This one was collected at a depth of approximately 1200m on an area of ocean floor known as Chatham Rise.

The baby creature is believed to be just a few days old. Picture: Instagram/Dr Brit Finucci

Egg capsules which house the ghost sharks as embryos. Picture: Instagram/Dr Brit Finucci

“You can tell this ghost shark recently hatched because it has a full belly of egg yolk. It’s quite astonishing. Most deepwater ghost sharks are known adult specimens; neonates are infrequently reported so we know very little about them,” Dr Finucci said.

“Finding this ghost shark will help us better understand the biology and ecology of this mysterious group of deepwater fish.”

Just your regular annual #SharkWeek reminder that #ghostsharks are just as great as all those other #sharks. pic.twitter.com/D5swfBWcLQ

— Brit Finucci (@BritFinucci) August 10, 2020

Also known as chimaeras, the ghost sharks are a cartilaginous creature similar to sharks and rays.

The bottom-feeding species consumes molluscs and worms on the clean floor and feature a retractable penis on its head.

Adult ghost sharks can range from 60 to 2 metres in length and can be found all around the world. They’re also known as rat fish, spook fish and rabbit fish.