Overview

• A peer-reviewed study reports six individuals documented in 2020–2022, the first verified records since the species’ 1973 description.
• All records came from artisanal catches in Astrolabe Bay near the Gogol River mouth, including the first male ever documented.
• Two deceased specimens are archived at the University of Papua New Guinea as teams prepare DNA analyses with collaborators in Australia and Florida.
• Researchers suspect a very restricted range, raising concern over vulnerability to local fishing pressure linked to the fish maw trade.
• The shark remains IUCN data deficient and was not found in 2010–2014 surveys, highlighting the value of fisher-led reporting in poorly studied waters.