Creature found lurking ‘in disguise’ in waters off Australia. See the new species


Aspen Pflughoeft
Thu, July 13, 2023 

A striped creature lurked “in disguise” amid the shadowy depths off the coast of Australia. The animal had gone relatively unnoticed and, even when spotted, was often misidentified. That all changed when scientists captured one of the animals and discovered it was a new species.

Researchers were surveying the Gascoyne Marine Park off the coast of Exmouth when they captured the striped shark, co-author and shark scientist William White said on Twitter.

The shark was “a striking, small, stripey hornshark,” White said. Researchers recognized it as a previously unknown species.

The new species was named Heterodontus marshallae, or the painted hornshark, according to a study published July 12 in the journal Diversity. It ranges in size from about 1 foot long to about 2 feet long.

Photos show the painted hornshark’s tan or grayish coloring and its darker, blackish stripes. The animal has a “blunt,” almost square-shaped head with a short, “triangular” snout, researchers said.



The painted hornshark “has a remarkably similar color pattern” to another species of hornshark, Heterodontus zebra, the study said. For decades, researchers misidentified any captured painted hornsharks as Heterodontus zebra hornsharks.

To identify the new species, researchers studied older archived specimens and newly collected specimens. They noticed several differences between painted hornsharks and other known species, the study said.

The painted hornshark lives deeper in the ocean and has different color patterns on its snout, gills and fins, the study said. DNA analysis also confirmed the painted hornshark was genetically distinct from other hornshark species.

Unlike other sharks, hornsharks cannot be identified by their teeth, the study said. Instead, researchers identify hornshark species based on their color patterns.

A Heterodontus marshallae, or painted hornshark, as seen from the top and side.

The new species was named Heterodontus marshallae “in honor of Dr. Lindsay Marshall, a scientific illustrator” and scientist who studies sharks and rays, researchers said. The name painted hornshark refers to both “the beautiful coloration of the species” and to Marshall “who has painted all the hornsharks in amazing detail.”

The painted hornshark is native to Australia and has been found in the waters from Exmouth to Bathurst Island, the study said. This area is on the opposite side of the country from Sydney.

The research team included White, Frederik Mollen, Helen O’Neill, Lei Yang and Gavin Naylor.