Overview

• The Journal of Fish Biology paper confirms five females found in March 2020 and one male in 2022 as Gogolia filewoodi, the first verified records since the species was described in 1973.
• All individuals were reported from Astrolabe Bay near the mouth of the Gogol River at about 80 metres depth, with measured lengths recorded across two consecutive days in March 2020.
• Two deceased specimens are now housed at the University of Papua New Guinea, and researchers plan DNA work with collaborators in Australia and Florida to establish a genetic baseline.
• The concentration of records in a small area suggests possible microendemism, raising concern that local fishing pressure could threaten a potentially limited population.
• The study underscores the value of artisanal and market surveys for detecting rare species in understudied regions, noting that extensive deep-sea expeditions in the 2010s did not find the shark.