New shark species identified in Indian Ocean after decades of misclassification

Kolkata A deep-sea shark found in Indian Ocean waters and long believed to be identical to its Atlantic counterpart has been identified as a distinct species by Indian scientists. Named Echinorhinus roinee, or the Indian Bramble Shark, the species was identified by researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), a ZSI statement said on Thursday (November 12, 2026).

The discovery marks an important step towards understanding the rich but largely unexplored marine biodiversity of the Indian Ocean. The research findings have been published in the journal ‘Records of the Zoological Survey of India’ (Volume 126, Issue 1S, 2026).

The specimens were collected at Sakthikulangara Fishing Harbour in Kollam, Kerala, where the sharks were brought ashore as accidental catches by deep-sea shrimp trawlers. These sharks live along the underwater slopes of the continental shelf at depths of 350 to 450 metres and can grow up to three metres in length.