The legacy of the pioneering shark researcher Eugenie Clark, known throughout the shark science community as “The Shark Lady,” will live on with the naming of a newly discovered species of shark.
The new species of dogfish, named Squalus clarkae, was formally identified this month in the journal Zootaxa. The report was written by Florida Institute of Technology assistant professor and shark biologist Toby Daly-Engel marine scientists Mariah Pfleger of Oceana, and Florida State University’s Dean Grubbs and Chip Cotton.
“Dr. Clark was a trailblazer for women in shark biology. Her work showed me that it was possible to make my mark in a male-dominated field,” said Pfleger, a former graduate student who studied under Clark. “This paper is a perfect example of how her career has influenced multiple generations of women in science: the first author is a woman who graduated from a woman-led lab.”
“She is the mother of us all,” said Daly-Engel, who worked alongside Clark as a member of the American Elasmobranch Society. “She was not just the first female shark biologist, she was one of the first people to study sharks.”
Clark, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 92, founded the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida, where she contributed to the field of shark biology right up until her death. The authors thought it was fitting that the shark species, which was discovered in the Gulf of Mexico, will forever be known as Genie’s Dogfish.
Squalas clarkae is a deepwater dogfish that reaches approximately two feet in length at adulthood. The full article can be found here.
“Genie was aptly nicknamed the ‘Shark Lady’ because her shark research was so innovative and she was dedicated to teaching the truth about sharks,” said Robert Hueter, Ph.D., director of the Center for Shark Research at Mote. “Not only was she responsible for establishing Mote’s legacy of more than 60 years in shark research, but also, her discoveries inspired people around the world to develop a sense of eagerness and passion for understanding and ultimately protecting these fascinating animals.”
