Friday, March 29, 2024
Contact    |    RSS icon Twitter icon Facebook icon  
Unexplained Mysteries
You are viewing: Home > News > Nature & Environment > News story
Welcome Guest ( Login or Register )  
All ▾
Search Submit

Nature & Environment

Glow-in-the-dark 'ninja lanternshark' found

By T.K. Randall
December 26, 2015 · Comment icon 10 comments

The appropriately named 'ninja lanternshark'. Image Credit: CC BY 4.0 Victoria Elena Vasquez / JOSF
Scientists have discovered a bizarre new species of shark that has been given an even more bizarre name.
Measuring up to 18 inches in length and found only in the dark depths of the sea, this unique creature is well adapted to eke out an existence in the gloom at the bottom of the Pacific.

Discovered by scientists from the Pacific Shark Research Center in California, the shark was originally named Etmopterus benchleyi after 'Jaws' author Peter Benchley.
It wasn't until the young cousins of researcher Vicky Vásquez got involved in the naming process however that it ultimately ended up with the rather unusual moniker of 'ninja lanternshark'.

The name is based on the shark's ability to stay camouflaged and to sneak up on its prey using a combination of its dark-colored skin and its ability to emit a faint glow through bioluminescence.

Source: Independent | Comments (10)




Other news and articles
Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #1 Posted by Eldorado 8 years ago
A pretty rubbish ninja if he glows in the dark, is he not?
Comment icon #2 Posted by rashore 8 years ago
A pretty rubbish ninja if he glows in the dark, is he not? Nah, makes him super ninja if he can be a ninja despite the fact that he glows in the dark.
Comment icon #3 Posted by pallidin 8 years ago
"Up to 18-inches long..." Besides the fact that it could use a makeover, what is it? Some type of aquatic "ankle biter" sharkette?
Comment icon #4 Posted by Nnicolette 8 years ago
I still can't quite picture how it can be camouflaged by its dark skin and also glowing.
Comment icon #5 Posted by Ashyne 8 years ago
It looks like something that would come from the Pacific Rim.
Comment icon #6 Posted by Yamato 8 years ago
Take a shark out of the water and take pictures of its dead body and it's going to need a makeover. Sharks are gorgeous supreme creatures when they're alive in their own world. Bazillions of years of evolution to create the sexiest fluid dynamic bodies and they're far more intelligent than people give them credit for. People eat Tuna or Halibut and think it's "just fish". "Tuna" is not the fastest animal in the sea that's rapidly being exterminated, it's tuna fish in a can to be consumed.
Comment icon #7 Posted by rashore 8 years ago
Take a shark out of the water and take pictures of its dead body and it's going to need a makeover. Sharks are gorgeous supreme creatures when they're alive in their own world. Bazillions of years of evolution to create the sexiest fluid dynamic bodies and they're far more intelligent than people give them credit for. People eat Tuna or Halibut and think it's "just fish". "Tuna" is not the fastest animal in the sea that's rapidly being exterminated, it's tuna fish in a can to be consumed. Thanks for the PSA?
Comment icon #8 Posted by Oniomancer 8 years ago
So they finally announce the discovery of this shark around Christmas time, and you would even say it glows?
Comment icon #9 Posted by Ozfactor 8 years ago
wonderful , to still be discovering species of shark !
Comment icon #10 Posted by BeastieRunner 8 years ago
So they finally announce the discovery of this shark around Christmas time, and you would even say it glows? Appropriately times, if I do say so myself.


Please Login or Register to post a comment.


Our new book is out now!
Book cover

The Unexplained Mysteries
Book of Weird News

 AVAILABLE NOW 

Take a walk on the weird side with this compilation of some of the weirdest stories ever to grace the pages of a newspaper.

Click here to learn more

We need your help!
Patreon logo

Support us on Patreon

 BONUS CONTENT 

For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, you can gain access to a wide range of exclusive perks including our popular 'Lost Ghost Stories' series.

Click here to learn more

Top 10 trending mysteries
Recent news and articles