Science is Fun Fridays!

 

Chimaeras are a group of fish also known as ghost sharks.  The species is related to sharks but are thought to have diverged around 400 million years ago.

In October 2018, a deep-sea survey collected the above specimen in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Thailand.  It was recorded as Chimaera aff. macrospina but further research has concluded this is a new species.

Members of the Chimaeridae are told apart by differences in their snouts and the position of their anal fins.  This one has a short snout and large oval eyes, which are iridescent green.  It has been named Chimaera supapae, in honor of Professor Supap Monkolprasit, who devoted her life to the study of cartilaginous fishes in Thailand.