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Named after retired underwater filmmaker Al Giddings, Bythaelurus giddingsi is a new species of shark discovered during an expedition off the Galapagos Islands. As a bottom-feeder it has small teeth likely used to grasp and devour fish and invertebrates. John McCosker, an aquatic biologist from the California Academy of Sciences, led the expedition where the shark was discovered. The group of scientists discovered seven of these immature sharks in 1998, and now some 14 years later, their hard work and research have paid off in the form of a positive new shark identification.

There are about 375 species of identified sharks in the world today. Due to overfishing for the purposes of harvesting their fins, many shark populations around the world are in decline. McCosker states that "sharks are the top predators of the ocean, and if any one of them goes extinct it can cause the loss of an entire ocean food web, which is why I want to save those primary predators."