For 35 days in late 2025, a research vessel known as the RV Investigator navigated slowly through the profound waters off the eastern coast of Australia, towing instruments thousands of metres deep into areas that had never been properly explored.<\/p>\n
By the conclusion of the journey, the crew had collected samples from over 110 marine species that had yet to be documented scientifically. Experts predict that the final tally, after analyses are finished, will surpass 200.<\/p>\n
The most remarkable discovery was a pale, soft-bodied fish referred to as a chimaera. Commonly called a ghost shark, ratfish, or spookfish, it originates from an evolutionary lineage that diverged from sharks and rays around 400 million years ago \u2014 well before the first dinosaurs roamed the earth.<\/p>\n
## Findings from the expedition<\/p>\n
The Coral Sea Marine Park is situated approximately 1,000 kilometres east of the Queensland coast, spanning nearly one million square kilometres of ocean. It holds the title of Australia’s largest marine protected area. Most of its deep-water ecosystems had not been charted or biologically examined prior to the 2025 expedition.<\/p>\n
The RV Investigator, a research vessel managed by CSIRO (Australia\u2019s national science organization), set sail from Brisbane in October 2025 and reached as far as Mellish Reef, roughly 1,000 kilometres offshore. This expedition was a joint effort with The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census, an international alliance aimed at expediting the discovery of deep-ocean species.<\/p>\n
The newly identified 110-plus species were gathered from depths ranging between 200 and 3,000 metres. They include brittlestars, crabs, sea anemones, sponges, corals, and fishes \u2014 a particular assortment of animals that inhabit the deep sea but seldom appear near human observation.<\/p>\n
Dr. Will White, the chief scientist of the expedition and a specialist in sharks and rays at CSIRO, personally classified four new fish species from the samples: two rays (a stingaree found on the Kenn Plateau and a skate), a deep-sea catshark, and the chimaera.<\/p>\n
## Understanding a ghost shark<\/p>\n
Chimaeras rank among the most peculiar fish in the ocean and are largely unfamiliar to many people.<\/p>\n
Although they are related to sharks and rays, they are neither sharks nor rays. These three groups fall under a wider classification known as cartilaginous fishes \u2014 organisms whose skeletons are composed of cartilage instead of bone. However, chimaeras diverged early and developed along a distinct lineage.<\/p>\n
Chimaeras possess soft bodies, smooth skin devoid of scales, and large dark eyes. Some species can reach nearly five feet in length. They generally move slowly and prefer the deep ocean, residing at depths of about 200 metres to over 2,600 metres. Their mouths typically culminate in a unique beak-like structure enabling them to crush small crustaceans and molluscs on the seabed.<\/p>\n
The specific new chimaera identified during the CSIRO journey belongs to the genus *Chimaera*. It exhibits a soft body, a pale appearance, and is adapted to environments that would be inhospitable to most surface-dwelling fish.<\/p>\n
Ghost sharks are seldom observed alive by humans. Most recognized species have been classified from specimens retrieved during deep-sea fishing or from sporadic footage captured by remotely operated submersibles. The 2025 CSIRO expedition adds one more to the limited catalogue of formally described species.<\/p>\n
## The 400 million-year timeline<\/p>\n
The historical depth of the chimaera lineage warrants specific mention, as it is indeed extraordinary.<\/p>\n
Chimaeras branched off from the shark and ray lineage during the Late Silurian or Early Devonian period, around 400 million years ago. At that moment in Earth\u2019s chronology, the first plants were just beginning to appear on land. There were no trees, no amphibians, no reptiles, and no dinosaurs.<\/p>\n
Chimaeras have endured, maintaining essentially the same body structure, throughout this extensive time frame. Their existing descendants today exhibit characteristics and behaviors that are clearly analogous to the fossilized chimaeras found in ancient marine deposits.<\/p>\n
In contrast, the first dinosaurs emerged roughly 230 million years ago \u2014 nearly 170 million years after the chimaera lineage was already well-established. The extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs, which occurred 66 million years ago, is closer to us in time than the emergence of chimaeras was to the dinosaurs themselves.<\/p>\n
Chimaeras are frequently referred to as \u201cliving fossils\u201d for this reason. This designation can be somewhat misleading \u2014 modern chimaeras have continued to evolve, and today there are numerous distinct species. Nonetheless, the foundational body plan and biological specialization represent one of the oldest continuous designs in vertebrate life.<\/p>\n
## Insights regarding the deep sea<\/p>\n
The particular importance of the CSIRO discovery extends beyond the individual new species.<\/p>\n
A single 35-day journey to a specific region of one ocean yielded descriptions of over 110 new marine species, with many more anticipated as taxonomic workshops complete.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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