Specimen examinations conducted by the Zoological Survey of India and the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute confirmed that the shark belongs to a distinct Indian Ocean lineage. Reaching lengths of up to three metres, the species lives on continental slopes at depths between 350 and 450 metres and possesses a dark body covered in thorn-like structures. Genetic evidence reveals its range likely stretches beyond Indian waters to Oman, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The type specimens are now officially preserved in the National Zoological Collections in Chennai.
Key points
Genetic evidence establishes that this deep-sea shark represents a unique Indian Ocean li…: Genetic evidence establishes that this deep-sea shark represents a unique Indian Ocean lineage distinct from Atlantic and Pacific counterparts.
Because slow growth and low reproduction make deep-sea sharks vulnerable to fishing, accu…: Because slow growth and low reproduction make deep-sea sharks vulnerable to fishing, accurate identification is essential for conservation planning.
The research was supported by the Ministry of Earth Sciences as part of the ongoing Deep…: The research was supported by the Ministry of Earth Sciences as part of the ongoing Deep Ocean Mission initiative.
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For decades, a mysterious deep-sea shark caught off the Kerala coast was believed to belong to a species found in the Atlantic Ocean. Its appearance seemed to support that identification, and it continued to be recorded under the same scientific name. But when Indian researchers examined the shark more closely and analysed its DNA, they uncovered something unexpected: it was a distinct species that had remained hidden in plain sight.
The discovery of
Echinorhinus roinee, popularly known as the Indian Bramble Shark, has added a new chapter to India's marine biodiversity research. It also highlights how much scientists are yet to understand about life beneath the Indian Ocean.
A shark mistaken for an Atlantic species
The specimens were collected at Sakthikulangara Fishing Harbour in Kollam, Kerala, after being brought ashore as accidental catches by deep-sea shrimp trawlers.
Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) investigated the specimens and found that they did not match the Atlantic bramble shark, as previously believed.
The Indian Bramble Shark can grow up to three metres and…
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