Scientists identify a new deep-sea shark off India's coast
Researchers have described Apristurus drona, a newly identified deepwater catshark found off India's southwest coast, highlighting how much of the deep sea is still waiting to be discovered.
Off India's southwest coast, in waters far deeper than fishing boats used to reach, scientists have identified a shark species entirely new to record: Apristurus drona, a small deepwater catshark described through detailed study of its body and genetics.
Shoba Joe Kizhakudan, principal scientist and head of the Finfish Fisheries Division at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, said the discovery highlights how much of the deep sea's biodiversity in the region remains undocumented. The species had gone unrecorded for years, only turning up in catches recently as fishing vessels began working at greater depths.
The find is part of a larger effort under the Ministry of Earth Sciences' Deep Ocean Mission, which is systematically surveying the diversity of deep-sea sharks, skates and rays in Indian waters.
Each newly named species is a small reminder that even well-studied coastlines can still hold genuine surprises — and that careful, patient science keeps expanding what we know about life in the ocean.
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