Researchers in Australia recently identified a new species of demon shark — one whose spooky white eyes and egg pouch set it apart from nearly all other shark species.
The finding came after more than a decade of investigating the possible new species, after one of its unique egg pouches was found off the coast of western Australia.
Apristurus ovicorrugatus is a deepwater shark that was bright white eyes, which are uncommon for deepwater species, the researchers said.
In all, there are 40 known species of Apristurus, according to a study published by the Australian researchers.
Over the years, more species were discovered when scientists explored new ocean depths and locations.
But still, “the diversity of species within this genus is far from being resolved,” researchers say in their study.
What is the new shark species?
The new species was able to be identified because researchers noticed something interesting about its egg cases, pouches that attach to a surface in the ocean and hold onto a fertilized shark eggs as it develops.
The shark’s egg pouch was first noticed by scientists back in 2011, but it took years to determine whether it was from a species yet to be identified.
The egg cases of Apristurus ovicorrugatus helped scientists identify it as a new species because the cases have lengthwise ridges, or longitudinal ridges. Additionally, the material that forms each ridge is in the shape of a “T,” scientists said.
The dark grey shark’s name Apristurus ovicorrugatus is derived from the Latin ovi, meaning egg, and corrugatus, meaning corrugated, in reference to the corrugated egg cases that are unique for the genus Apristurus, scientists said.
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