Costa Rican researchers say they may have identified a new species of ghost shark in Pacific waters near Cabo Blanco and Cano Island. According to Arturo Angulo Sibaja, a biology professor at the University of Costa Rica, the putative new species has distinguishing physical traits, including a shorter snout, a darker coloration pattern, and a longer spine on its dorsal fin. Sibaja adds that this would be the only ghost shark species known to occur along the Central American coast. The findings are based on observations of specimens collected in the region, alongside genetic analysis. The genetic results, as described by Sibaja, indicate the shark does not reproduce with other related species, supporting the interpretation that it represents a separate species. Coverage of the discovery in multiple outlets focuses on the combination of morphological differences and genetic evidence. Both reports describe the location of the find and the characteristic traits cited by the researchers, though they do not provide additional details on formal taxonomic naming, sample size, or full peer-reviewed publication status.
Costa Rican researchers say they may have discovered a new ghost shark species
Costa Rican researchers say they may have identified a new species of ghost shark in Pacific waters near Cabo Blanco and Cano Island. According to Arturo Angulo Sibaja, a biology professor at the Univ...
- Costa Rican scientists report a possible new ghost shark species in Pacific waters near Cabo Blanco and Cano Island.
- Researchers cite physical differences including a shorter snout, a darker coloration pattern, and a longer dorsal fin spine.
- Arturo Angulo Sibaja (University of Costa Rica) says the discovery would be the only ghost shark species known for the Central American coast.
- Genetic analysis is reported to indicate the population does not reproduce with related species, supporting separate-species status.
Costa Rican scientists may have discovered a new species of ghost shark in Pacific waters near Cabo Blanco and Cano Island.
1 month agoCosta Rican scientists may have discovered a new species of ghost shark in Pacific waters near Cabo Blanco and Cano Island. The latest discovery has a “shorter” snout, a “darker coloration pattern” and a “much longer spine on its dorsal fin”, according to Arturo Angulo Sibaja, a biology professor at the University of Costa Rica. The discovery marked the only such species “known for the Central American coast”, Sibaja said, adding genetic analysis indicated the new species had “no reproductive...
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