New Species of Shark Named 'Ninja Lanternshark' by Kids

A new species of shark has been named 'Ninja Lanternshark' by kids due to its sneaky behavior and its glow in the dark skin.

The Ninja Lanternshark with skin black as oil and measuring 1 ½ feet was left unexamined in storage for 5 years after its discovery. It was caught during a research expedition in the Pacific near Central America. It was preserved in the California Academy of Science since 2010 and it was only until recently that scientists confirmed it to be a new species by scientists Vicky Vasquez and Dr. Douglas J. Long.

After taking a closer look at the black fish, Long and Vasquez identified it to be a new species of shark. Dr. David Ebert, Vasquez's professor from the Pacific Shark Research Center at Cal State, joins and supports Vasquez and Long's claim.

There are many types of lanternsharks but the newly discovered species is the first of its kind found in Central America seas. Certain characteristics of the black shark lead to it being not only as a lanternshark but also as a ninja.

Its defining physicals feature are its 2 dorsal fins which have a spine on each and it does not have identical sets of upper and lower teeth. However, what's most interesting are its photophores, the shark's organs that is responsible for bioluminescent or the capability to emit light which makes the skin glow in the dark. It makes the creature's body appear like it's covered with glowing dots to match the deep ocean which it uses to hide itself. This enables the predator to sneak at a favorable position on top of its prey before lounging in for the kill.

Once the shark has been distinguished from the rest, Vasquez felt that the new species needed a name. So she reached out to her cousins whose age ranges from 8 to 14 and ask them some creative nickname for the deep sea creature. Funny suggestions were 'Left Shark Lanternshark' and 'Super Ninja Shark' but she finally settled for 'Ninja Lanternshark' because it sounded something that other scientists would accept.