Ninja Lanternshark

The common name "ninja" was coined by the children of researchers who were assisting in studying the species. They suggested the name because the shark's dark, sleek appearance resembled a ninja, contrasting with the typical glowing image of a lanternshark.

The scientific name Etmopterus benchleyi honors Peter Benchley, the famous author of the novel "Jaws." Researchers chose this name to recognize Benchley's later life work in promoting ocean conservation and shark advocacy.

This deep-sea shark was described in 2015 based on specimens found in the waters of the Pacific coast of Central America. They inhabit the deep, dark mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones of the ocean.

Like other lanternsharks, it possesses specialized photophores that allow it to produce a faint bioluminescent glow in the deep sea. This glowing ability helps the shark camouflage itself from predators below through a process called counter-illumination.