 Credit unknown The chain catshark (Scyliorhinus retifer) is a small, uniquely patterned shark with a special power: it has the super power of fluorescence! Mikhail Matz, a marine biology professor at the University of Florida first observed this unique property in 2005, catching it on film. No one is sure what the purpose of this unique characteristic is, and more research needs to be done on it.
Inspired by the video of a baby redspotted catshark (Schroederichthys chilensis) in its egg case, we’re excited to discuss this beauty of a critter. Here, you can see it still isn’t ready to hatch, in stage 4 of the 6 stages of development. The first layers of the egg case have been removed to expose the embryo; don’t worry, this won’t affect the development of the shark.
 Whitefin Chimaera, Chimaera argiloba. Source: Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO. The whitefin chimaera (Chimaera argiloba) is named for its uniformly pale colour, including their pale coloured fins. The spine in front of their first dorsal fin is pale in color, and both dorsal fins have a black margin to contrast against the otherwise pale colour. The pectoral fins, on the other hand, are dusky colored with even darker tips. These chimaeras sport a dark stripe above their lateral line, as well as impressively sized claspers and teeny tiny anal fins.
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AuthorTFUI Founder Melissa C. Marquez is author of all animal bios and "Behind the Fins" segments. SEE MELISSA'S TEDx TALK HERE:
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