The new species is thought to be part of the hammerhead family, for obvious reasons. Photo: Belize Fisheries Dept.
Just a few days ago, the Belize Fisheries Department announced something incredible: the discovery of a new species of shark. Thought to be part of the hammerhead family, it resembles something called a bonnethead shark.
The shark, which hasn’t been officially named yet, was discovered during data collection from a long-term research program that gathers data to ensure the safety of shark populations in Belize.Since 2008, the Fisheries Department and Dr. Demian Chapman, a shark specialist from Florida International University, have been studying sharks in the area with a focus on hammerheads.
The find has prompted scientists to express concerns about the newfound species’ vulnerability. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, bonnetheads aren’t at risk. That’s because they’re spread out across the world. The new shark, though, might turn that on its head. “The discovery that there might actually be two species with smaller distributional ranges and overall numbers means scientists must reassess each of their extinction vulnerabilities,” wrote JoAnn Adkins for Florida International University.
Demian Chapman examines a specimen of what is believed to be an unidentified species of hammerhead shark. Photo: FIU
Demian Chapman was the lead researcher of the team that made the discovery. “Now we have to define the range of each of these species individually and assess them independently against where the potential threats are,” he said. “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.”
