Pale ghost shark

Pale ghost shark
	Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Order:	Chimaeriformes
Family:	Chimaeridae
Genus:	Hydrolagus
Species:	H. bemisi
Binomial name
	Hydrolagus bemisi; Didier, 2002

The pale ghost shark (Hydrolagus bemisi) is a shortnose chimaera of the family Chimaeridae. It is endemic to New Zealand waters.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Dominique A. Didier in 2002.[1] Although it had been recognised, the description of this species was regarded as being important because of the increase in the commercial fishing of chimaera.[1]

Description

Estimations of growth and age have only been attempted for a quarter of the species known.[2] This species has a medium-sized body with a tapered whip-like tail.[3] Its length is up to 1.12 m.[4] It can be distinguished from H. novaezealandiae and H. homonycteris as it has a pale silvery colour with no patternation or spots.[3] Estimates suggest that they can live between 15 and 22 years, although the lack of data still makes this unreliable.[2]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand and can commonly be found from the West Norfolk Ridge to the Campbell Plateau at depths of between 400 and 1100 m.[3]

Conservation status

In June 2018 the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the pale ghost shark as "Not Threatened" with the qualifier "Conservation Dependent " under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[5]

References

Didier, Dominique A. (2002-11-01). "Two new species of chimaeroid fishes from the southwestern Pacific Ocean (Holocephali, Chimaeridae)". Ichthyological Research. 49 (4): 299–306. doi:10.1007/s102280200045. ISSN 1616-3915. S2CID 27462273.
Finucci, B, Cheok, J, Ebert, DA, Herman, K, Kyne, PM, Dulvy, NK. Ghosts of the deep- Biodiversity, fisheries, and extinction risk of ghost sharks, Fish Fish. 2021; 22: 391-412. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12526
Roberts, Clive; Stewart, A. L.; Struthers, Carl D.; Barker, Jeremy; Kortet, Salme; Freeborn, Michelle (2015). The fishes of New Zealand. Vol. 2. Wellington, New Zealand: Te Papa Press. p. 46. ISBN 9780994104168. OCLC 908128805.
Capuli, Estelita Emily; Luna, Susan M. "Hydrolagus bemisi Didier, 2002". Fishbase. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
Duffy, Clinton A. J.; Francis, Malcolm; Dunn, M. R.; Finucci, Brit; Ford, Richard; Hitchmough, Rod; Rolfe, Jeremy (2018). Conservation status of New Zealand chondrichthyans (chimaeras, sharks and rays), 2016 (PDF). Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Conservation. p. 10. ISBN 9781988514628. OCLC 1042901090.

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[:1-1] Didier, Dominique A. (2002-11-01). "Two new species of chimaeroid fishes from the southwestern Pacific Ocean (Holocephali, Chimaeridae)". Ichthyological Research. 49 (4): 299–306. doi:10.1007/s102280200045. ISSN 1616-3915. S2CID 27462273.

[doi.org-2] Finucci, B, Cheok, J, Ebert, DA, Herman, K, Kyne, PM, Dulvy, NK. Ghosts of the deep- Biodiversity, fisheries, and extinction risk of ghost sharks, Fish Fish. 2021; 22: 391-412. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12526

[:2-3] Roberts, Clive; Stewart, A. L.; Struthers, Carl D.; Barker, Jeremy; Kortet, Salme; Freeborn, Michelle (2015). The fishes of New Zealand. Vol. 2. Wellington, New Zealand: Te Papa Press. p. 46. ISBN 9780994104168. OCLC 908128805.

[:0-4] Capuli, Estelita Emily; Luna, Susan M. "Hydrolagus bemisi Didier, 2002". Fishbase. Retrieved 20 January 2019.

[5] Duffy, Clinton A. J.; Francis, Malcolm; Dunn, M. R.; Finucci, Brit; Ford, Richard; Hitchmough, Rod; Rolfe, Jeremy (2018). Conservation status of New Zealand chondrichthyans (chimaeras, sharks and rays), 2016 (PDF). Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Conservation. p. 10. ISBN 9781988514628. OCLC 1042901090.