Rare Shark Covered in Thorns Suddenly Found in Ocean

A rare ocean predator described as being covered in thorns was captured in Chile, allowing for a complete study to be done on the animal for the first time in more than 100 years.

The Chilean angel shark was first documented in 1887, but the specimen on which the study was based was lost in a fire. Not only was the creature gone, but the original findings were incomplete and inaccurate, according to a new study published in the European Journal of Taxonomy on April 25. Newsweek reached out to the study authors by email for comment.

Sightings have occurred of the endangered ocean predator in the years since, with researchers updating some of its basic information, but a complete study of the animal hasn't been completed until now.

Fishermen accidentally caught two male angel sharks while fishing in Chile. The specimens were sent to the National Museum of Natural History in Santiago, Chile, where they were evaluated by researchers. They learned that they were in possession of two Chilean angel sharks—allowing for a complete study to be done on the animal for the first time in more than 100 years.

There are 24 species of angel shark. The animal inhabits "temperate to tropical waters of continental shelves in all major oceans", according to the study, and its body is flat, resembling a ray more so than a shark. The animal lives in shallow, coastal waters, exposing it to human activities "such as fishing, coastal development, and habitat degradation," the study said. Researchers identified the two angel sharks in their possession as more than 3 feet long. The sharks also are covered in "hook-shaped" thorn-like growths on the top of their bodies and heads, the study added.

Because of their habitat, the sharks are exposed to threats such as fishing and coastal development, and are considered critically endangered.

"Consequently, sightings of angel sharks have become increasingly rare, and some species have been virtually extirpated from their original distribution areas," the study said.

It added that there is an urgent need for conservation policies regarding the animals to protect them from extinction.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describes angel sharks as "ambush predators, meaning they lie in wait for prey to pass closely overhead before attacking."

"They eat mostly bony fish, other demersal animals, such as skates, crustaceans, mollusks, and cephalopods," the NOAA report said.

Countless new species are found each year. At times, those thought to have disappeared or gone extinct sometimes resurface, as well. For example, a carnivore known as a fisher that was hunted to near-extinction in Ohio in the 1800s was possibly spotted dead on the side of the road in the state recently, signaling that the species was beginning to move further west.