After examining the DNA from a sample of what was thought to be a common bonnethead shark that was caught off the coast of Belize, researchers believe they have discovered a whole new species.
Boneheads are the smallest members of the hammerhead family, reaching a maximum length of three feet, and are identified by the unique shovel-shaped morphology of their heads.
The discovery was made during a 2016 tagging expedition which included scientists from Stony Brook University, Florida International University, University of North Florida and the Field Museum of Chicago.
The results of the gene sequencing, which was revealed in a press release from FIU on Wednesday, showed that there were large genetic differences between the specimen, which was caught during a 2016 tagging expedition, and other bonnetheads in the region, suggesting that what was once thought to be one homogenous population might, in fact, be made of smaller, individual populations.
The discovery could have implications on conservation efforts for the sharks.
“Now we have to define the range of each of these species individually and assess them independently against where the potential threats are,” FIU marine scientist and lead researcher on the discovery, Demian Chapman, said in the release. “For example, there are published reports that bonnetheads have nearly been wiped out by unregulated fishing in Brazil. We do not know which species this is and our finding of a new species in Belize highlights that there could be more undescribed ones out there, each one facing a unique set of threats.”
According to the release, bonnethead sharks are commercially fished in the United States, throughout the Caribbean and in South America. Currently, only the United States has strong management measures in place for the species. While the team is conducting genetic surveys of bonnetheads in the Caribbean and are focused on formally describing and naming the new species, they point out that continued efforts in DNA sequencing of sharks and rays throughout the world is likely to uncover even more unknown species.
Source: FIU News