'Ghost shark' with enormous head and giant iridescent eyes discovered off Thailand

Scientists have discovered a never-before-seen species of "ghost shark" with a massive head, giant, iridescent eyes and feathery fins in the depths of the Andaman Sea off the coast of Thailand.

The elusive deep-sea creature, named Chimaera supapae, is a cartilaginous fish in the order of the oldest fishes alive today, Chimaeriformes. These ancient fish are distant relatives of sharks and rays.

Scientists described the discovery in a paper published March 6 in the journal Raffles Bulletin of Zoology.

"Chimaera are rare in this region of the world," David Ebert, lead author of the study and program director of the Pacific Shark Research Center at San Jose State University in California, told Live Science in an email.

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Chimaeras inhabit the continental slopes and ocean ridges of the deep sea. Found at depths below 1,640 feet (500 meters), these ghostly individuals lurk in dark waters, feeding on bottom-dwelling Animals such as crustaceans, mollusks and worms. 

"There were only 53 known species of chimaera in the world; this makes 54," Ebert said. Their deep-sea nature makes them difficult to find, especially in the Andaman Sea, where depths in some areas exceed 14,500 feet (4,400 m).