Strangely shaped "ghost shark" discovered in Thailand

According to Live Science , the newly discovered creature is called Chimaera supapae, a cartilaginous fish belonging to the oldest fish family alive today: Chimaeriformes. It is a distant relative of sharks and rays.

The name "supapae" comes from Supap Monkolprasit, a scientist from Thailand who devoted his life to studying cartilaginous fish. The genus name "Chimaera" comes from the three-headed, fire-breathing creature in Greek mythology.

Chimaeras are often called ghost sharks and ratfish, after their large, reflective eyes and tapered, rat-like bodies. Some can grow up to 2m long.

Scientists described the discovery of Chimaera supapae in a paper published in the journal Raffles Bulletin of Zoology.

World - 'Ghost shark' with strange shape discovered in Thailand

Accordingly, the newly described Chimaera species has a short nose, wide pectoral fins, and a body length of 51cm. Scientists suspect that the feather-like frills of this creature are related to its ability to move underwater.

Chimaera supapae's large, iridescent, green eyes help them see in pitch-black water. Their dark brown skin has no noticeable lines or patterns.

"Evolutionarily, these Chimaeras are among the oldest fish families, with ancestors that appeared 300 to 400 million years ago. The discovery of new species like Chimaeras shows how little we know about the marine environment and how much there is to discover," said David Ebert from the Pacific Shark Research Center at San Jose State University (California, USA), lead author of the study.

Chimaeras typically live on continental slopes and deep-sea ocean ridges, Ebert added. At depths below 500m, they lurk in dark waters, feeding on bottom-dwelling animals such as crustaceans, mollusks and worms.

"There are only 53 known species of Chimaera in the world and this one is 54. Their deep-sea habitat makes them difficult to find, especially in the Andaman Sea, where depths in some areas exceed 4,400 m," the researcher said.

Minh Hoa (t/h)

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