News

No you didn’t read that headline wrong: There really are freshwater sharks. They’re just so rare that 50 years span behind sightings.

Recently, scientists “rediscovered” two freshwater species, the Speartooth and New Guinea river sharks in Papua New Guinea. Both species are so rare they hadn’t been spotted in 50 years. They are thought to inhabit large rivers and coastal waters.

“The bull shark and the river sharks in the genus Glyphis are the only sharks that can live in freshwater for extended periods of time, although many other sharks can tolerate estuarine conditions to different degrees,” scientist Gavin Naylor told The Washington Post.

The research expedition set off to study rays and sharks in Papua New Guinea to help manage populations on a sustainable basis. More info in the article as originally reported by The Washington Post.