The world's most mysterious creature has a very 'cool' name, its ancestors lived nearly 400 million years ago!

Scientists at the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) have discovered a baby ghost shark at a depth of more than 1,200m, near the South Island of New Zealand. This is an important discovery for researchers because ghost sharks are extremely mysterious creatures and are rarely observed directly .

Ghost sharks , also known by their scientific name "Chimaera" , are one of the most mysterious and rare creatures in the ocean. Although they are related to sharks and rays, ghost sharks split from this genus about 300 million years ago and are descendants of a common ancestor that lived nearly 400 million years ago.

A baby ghost shark specimen was discovered at a depth of 1,200 m (Photo: Brit Finucci).

Unique biological features, size nearly equal to an adult

With a soft, elongated body and a distinctive head filled with sensory cells, ghost sharks possess wing-shaped fins that help them move flexibly in the water. In particular, on their heads there are sensitive sensors that help identify prey by sensing the movement of water currents.

Ghost sharks can grow up to 1.5m in length when fully grown. Their skin is smooth, scaleless, and they usually lack air sacs to regulate buoyancy. For defense, they have a venomous spine on their dorsal fin that helps deter predators as they move through the water.

Ghost sharks live mainly in deep water, reaching depths of up to 2,600m . They are not usually found below 200m, making research on this species difficult. Contrary to the scary image associated with their name, ghost sharks mainly feed on mollusks and small creatures, rather than hunting large animals.

According to scientists at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, female ghost sharks have the ability to store male sperm for later use . Research shows that female ghost sharks possess 2 uteruses, 2 ovaries and 2 oviducts like other shark species. However, male ghost sharks possess special genitals that can retract on their foreheads. In addition, the reproductive organs located on the male's head have hooks, so that the female's fins can cling to them when they are performing mating duties.

The ghost shark's habitat is deep under the sea, making it difficult to study and monitor them.

The most mysterious species in the ocean

During a deep-sea survey by NIWA, a baby ghost shark was caught in the team's net at a depth of more than 1,000m. The body of the individual looked like it was made of jelly, with a pointed head and distinctive large black eyes. Experts determined that the baby ghost shark was still in the hatching stage, as its belly was still filled with egg yolk, like many other sharks and rays.

According to Brit Finucci, a member of the research team at NIWA, this is a rare sighting of a baby ghost shark. This opens up many opportunities for research into the early stages of development of this shark species, adding to what is known from adult specimens.

The discovery not only sheds new light on the biology of ghost sharks, but also helps scientists learn more about how the species develops from juvenile to adult. The research will focus on comparing the color, size, and feeding habits of ghost sharks at different stages of development. This information could help shape a new understanding of this mysterious creature, which is difficult to access and track.

Ghost sharks mostly live in the deep waters of temperate oceans. This makes them difficult to study and observe, and many species are not yet fully understood. Scientists once thought that ghost sharks were a single species distributed throughout the oceans. However, later research has shown that there are many different species of ghost sharks that are genetically and morphologically distinct.

Male ghost shark (top) and female ghost shark (bottom).

Finucci said the ghost shark's habitat is what makes it difficult to gather information about them. This mystery is what makes each new discovery about this rare creature so intriguing.

The discovery of baby ghost sharks in the deep waters of New Zealand has opened up a new direction for research on this species. From understanding their biology to studying their development, the information obtained will contribute to clarifying more about the creatures that live in the ocean depths - a mysterious and little-explored world.

In the future, scientists hope to have more research opportunities to better understand the ecological characteristics and habitat of ghost sharks, thereby helping to protect and maintain the existence of this unique species in the marine ecosystem.