When scientists ask their young cousins for help in naming an odd new shark, the result is the Ninja Lanternshark.
What do you call a glow-in-the-dark shark, with skin as black night? Well, if you are the young cousins of researcher Vicky Vasquez, you’d obviously name it the Ninja Lanternshark.
The odd little shark, measuring just a foot and a half (perfect stocking size, shoppers!), lives off the coast of Central America, deep in the abyss. Its twin qualities – camouflage perfect for the dark, and its brightly glowing skin – offer it significant advantages in hunting far below the sun, though scientists are still trying to figure out how.
Its scientific name is Etmopterus benchleyi, after original author of Jaws, Peter Benchley.
There remains an entire world’s worth of discoveries in the depths of the Earth’s oceans. Like a… gift waiting to be unwrapped, I suppose? Anyways. Happy holidays, everyone!
Source: Business Insider
Published: Dec 25, 2015 08:15 pm