News

Quick: What’s the coolest shark name? You might say bull, tiger, or hammerhead shark. But, you’d be empirically incorrect.

Scientists this month announced the discovery of the aptly-named “Ninja Lanternshark.” The new shark gets its nickname from its appearance and apparently sneaky hunting skills. Even the scientific name is cool: Etmopterus benchleyi pays homage to “Jaws” author Peter Benchley.

Outside of the cool namesake, the discovery is significant to the researchers as little is known about the deep-dwelling lantern shark species. The eight specimens collected were found at depths down to 4,700 feet off Central America’s Pacific coast.

Learn more about the coolest shark in the original paper, published in the Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation.