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...is a weblog about the liberal arts 2.0 edited by Jason Kottke since March 1998 (archives). You can read about me and kottke.org here. If you've got questions, concerns, or interesting links, send them along.

New species of ghostshark uses its head

A new species of ghostshark was found off the coast of California. The odd-looking creature is a bit of an evolution-born exhibitionist: the males float through the deep with a club-like sex organ protruding from their heads. Scientists are unsure why this is the case, though some speculate that it is to grasp the female during mating. The Eastern Pacific black ghostshark joins the ranks of a special group referred to as "big black chimaeras." This classification is reserved for an ever-growing clique of sea creatures that feature characteristics that aren't found on other living creatures, though one could argue that the males of many species often combine their sex organs and their heads.

By Ainsley Drew    Sep 29, 2009 at 10:42 am    marine biology   nature   species

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