pale ghost shark of the dark outer shelf

Size
Length: 60–90 cm, Weight: 2–5 kg
Lifespan
15–25 years
Diet
Carnivorous – feeds on small fish, crustaceans, worms and molluscs. Crushes hard-shelled prey with tooth plates. Uses electroreceptors on its snout to locate buried food. Feeds near the seafloor at night.
Habitat
Deep continental slopes and seamounts between 200 and 800 metres depth. Prefers sandy and muddy bottoms near rocky outcrops. Often found in cold, oxygen-rich waters with strong currents.
Range
Found in deep waters around New Zealand from Northland to the Campbell Plateau. Most common on the Chatham Rise and off the west coast of the South Island. Also found in southern Australia.
Endemism
Native
Main Threats
Bycatch in deep-sea trawl and longline fisheries is the primary threat. Also threatened by habitat damage from bottom trawling on seamounts, and slow reproduction which makes populations vulnerable to overfishing. No targeted commercial fishery in New Zealand.
Population
Population trends are poorly understood due to the species' deep-water habitat. It is caught as bycatch in target fisheries for hoki, orange roughy and oreo. New Zealand's quota management system limits total bycatch. Better species-specific data is needed for accurate stock assessments.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
Mysterious relative of sharks and rays. A ghost that is dark brown instead of pale. Its smooth, scale-less skin is a deep chocolate brown. A venomous spine sits in front of its first dorsal fin for defence. Like all ghost sharks, it has a rabbit-like face with large, green eyes. Its flesh is sold as pearl fillets, a name that reflects the white, delicate quality of the meat. A shark that becomes pearls on a plate. The body is compressed and tapering, with a large head and a pointed snout. The skin is smooth and scale-less, unlike the rough skin of sharks. The colour is a uniform dark brown, providing camouflage in the deep. The eyes are large and green, adapted to low light. It has a venomous spine in front of its first dorsal fin. The spine is used for defence. When threatened, the ghost shark raises its spine, warning predators to stay away. The venom is not lethal to humans, but the wound is painful. It feeds on the seafloor, using the electroreceptors on its snout to locate buried prey. It crushes hard-shelled prey with its tooth plates, which are made of calcified cartilage. It swallows the crushed shells and all. It is oviparous, laying eggs in leathery capsules. The egg cases are often called mermaid's purses. Not targeted by commercial fisheries, it is caught as bycatch in deep-sea trawls and longlines. Its flesh is sold as pearl fillets, a name that disguises its true identity. The deep sea is dark. The ghost shark hovers, dark brown and rabbit-faced, green eyes watching. The trawl net drags. The ghost shark is caught. Its flesh becomes pearl fillets. It does not know it is being renamed. It just wanted to crush a clam. The deep sea keeps its secrets. The ghost shark is one of them.