Deep-sea predator — with 24 rows of teeth — caught by anglers. It’s a new species

Off the coast of India, anglers hauled up their fishing nets and caught a 1-foot-long creature. The deep-sea predator had “large” eyes and rows of teeth.

It turned out to be a new species.

Scientists decided to survey deep-sea dogfish sharks off the coast of India. These sharks are “caught mostly as bycatch” during commercial fishing but also traded “for their fins, liver oil and meat,” according to a study published in the journal Records of the Zoological Survey of India and shared with McClatchy News on July 18.

Researchers spent three years monitoring the catch of major fishing centers and collecting specimens caught by anglers, the study said. In Kerala, they found 13 unfamiliar-looking dogfish sharks.

Taking a closer look at the roughly 1-foot-long sharks, researchers realized they’d discovered a new species: Squalus hima, or the Indian spurdog.

Indian spurdog sharks can reach nearly 19 inches in length, the study said. They have “slender” bodies, “pointed” snouts and about 24 rows of teeth. Their “large” eyes are “bright turquoise.”

A photo shows the dark gray coloring of an Indian spurdog shark. Its sides are lighter brown-gray while the tips of its tail and fins appear almost black.

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In general, dogfish sharks are venomous , according to the Seattle Aquarium. “They have two spines, one in front of each dorsal fin, that secrete a mild venom. These sharp spines serve as a defense mechanism against the dogfish’s predators.”

However, co-author Bineesh K.K. told McClatchy News the new species is not venomous.

Indian spurdog sharks live at depths of about 1,000 to 2,000 feet, the study said.

Researchers said they named the new species after co-author Bineesh K.K.’s daughter, Hima.

So far, Indian spurdog sharks have been found in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Kerala, the study said. Kerala is a state on the southwestern coast of India and a roughly 1,700-mile drive southwest from New Delhi.

The new species was identified by its DNA, body shape, fins, mouth, skeleton, gills and other subtle physical features, the study said.

The research team included Sweta Beura, Bineesh K.K., Moumita Das, S. Swetha and Ranjana Bhaskar.

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