Deep in the Pacific Ocean Lurks Ninja Lanternshark

Deep in the Pacific Ocean lurks Ninja Lanternshark. It may sound like the title of a B-rated horror movie. Nonetheless, the Ninja Lanternshark is the newest shark species discovered in the depths of the ocean.

Only eight specimens of the Ninja Lanternshark have been found since 2010 until now. The scientific name, inspired by the creator of Jaws, is Etmopterus benchleyi. As so few specimens have been found so far, not much is known about Etmopterus bencheleyi. Yet, sufficient is known about the new shark species for the young nephew of lead researcher Vicky Vasque to name it Ninja Lanternshark.

A master of stealth, Ninja Lanternshark is coal-dark skinned. With the uniform darkness of its skin, the new shark species can camouflage really well as it approaches its prey. With the few photophores in its skin, the light emitted hides its shadow better than with other lantern sharks.

Deep in the Pacific Ocean lurks Ninja Lanternshark, at depths from 2,742 feet to 4,724 feet. It may be that its habitat extends beyond this depth. Nonetheless, more research needs to be done to gain insight on the Etmopterus bencheleyi.

The new shark species is described in an article featuring in the Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation. The most noticeable trait of the Ninja Lanternshark is its uniform black skin. With the photophores in the skin, an eerie glow surrounds them in the stealth hunting mode. Another notable trait is the length of the new shark species.

Ninja Lanternshark Size

Ninja Lanternshark size for an adult female was measured to be only 20 inches in length. There is no available data on an adult male shark. Thus, the researchers are not sure about the maximum size that the species can reach. The Ninja Lanternshark is part of the Etmopteridae family. The family harbors 38 species of sharks. Yet, new additions are a common phenomenon. In the past ten years, 20 percent of the shark species belonging to this family have been discovered.

Dave Ebert, the program director of the Pacific Shark Research Center declared that the center’s activity is based on finding new species of sharks. The next step is to deepen the research on the Ninja Lanternshark. The Center is extending the invitation for any other researchers working on the coast of Central America to look for the dark-skinned Ninja Lanternshark.

Photo Credits: missopen.com

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Christina Langfold

Remember that weird girl in school who never quite managed to fit in? Who was always silent and strange? That was me during my entire teenage life. A few years after finishing college (with a degree in arts) I decided that the best way to become more sociable, while also feeling safe, is to test my people skills online.