In the depths of the Andaman Sea off the coast of Thailand, scientists have unveiled a startling find: a previously unknown species of deep-sea chimaera, dubbed Chimaera supapae, boasting a chilling visage with its oversized head, mesmerizing iridescent eyes, and delicate, feather-like fins.
Lead author of the study and program director of the Pacific Shark Research Center at San Jose State University, David Ebert, expressed the rarity of chimaeras in this region, emphasizing the significance of the discovery. This ancient fish, belonging to the order Chimaeriformes and distant relatives of sharks and rays, adds to the limited roster of 53 known chimaera species worldwide, marking a milestone as the 54th.
Chimaeras, elusive inhabitants of the deep sea, typically reside beyond depths of 1,640 feet (500 meters), where they prowl in the obscurity, preying upon bottom-dwelling creatures such as crustaceans, mollusks, and worms. Their elusive nature, compounded by the extreme depths of the Andaman Sea, where some areas plunge to over 14,500 feet (4,400 meters), renders them particularly challenging to locate.
Published in the journal Raffles Bulletin of Zoology on March 6, the discovery sheds light on the remarkable biodiversity concealed within the ocean’s depths, unveiling yet another intriguing facet of the mysterious underwater realm.
