Biologists have discovered a new species of lanternshark (pictured above) off the Pacific coast of Central America.
They’re calling it Etmopterus benchleyi after ‘Jaws’ author (and shark lover) Peter Benchley, but the common name is even more fun: “ninja lanternshark.”
The details of the discovery were published in the open access Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation.
In an e-mail, study co-author Victoria Elena Vásquez says the common name was “decided upon by four children ages 8-14 years old.” The kids were relatives of Vásquez, and “shark enthusiasts,” according to the paper.
The ninja name refers to “the uniform black coloration and reduced photophore complement used as concealment in this species,” the authors of the paper write, “somewhat reminiscent of the typical outfit and stealthy behavior of a Japanese ninja.”
(Image Credit: Dr. Douglas Long and D. Ross Robertson)
The ninja lantern shark. Scary looking.
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