Rare Animal News: Meet The Pocket Shark Found In Gulf Of Mexico, Only Second Known Of Its Kind [VIDEO]
Sharks typically bring about fear and thoughts of the popular "Shark Week," but a recent discovery shows not all sharks are massive in size.
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The pocket shark that was recently discovered is only the second of its kind to be found. The first was discovered 36 years ago off the coast of Peru.
According to a new study, conducted by Tulane University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists, in science journal Zootaxa, published April 22, the pocket shark was caught five years during a Gulf of Mexico research expedition to study sperm whale feeding.
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It was sent to researchers at Tulane University in 2013, where they worked to properly identify it, which is how it became known as a pocket shark.
It was archived as frozen in the water until it was examined in the laboratory.
On the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's website, Mark Grace, the lead author of the new study, noted this pocket shark is "only 5 and a half inches long, and was a recently born male."
He recruited the other members of the study's research staff, including Tulane University researchers Michael Doosey and Henry Bart, and NOAA Ocean Service genetics expert Gavin Naylor, to give the specimen an up-close examination, where they saw that this shark has a pocket gland that is found just above the pectoral fin.
The pocket shark is "closely related to the kitefin and cookie cutter species" according to further genetic analysis from Naylor, after the research staff learned the shark fit into the species known as Mollisquama.
"This record of such an unusual and extremely rare fish is exciting, but its also an important reminder that we still have much to learn about the species that inhabit our oceans," Grace revealed.
