When you think of the world’s most famous sharks, usually the Great White, the Hammerhead, and the Human-Molared come to mind first.
Clearly I made that last one up, or I at least didn’t use its actual, correct name for the new shark that we apparently just found out about. I’m not sure how discovering a strange, new shark with human-like teeth makes me feel…
This just goes to show you that we still have a ton of exploring to do in the ocean, and supports the fact that we know more about space than we do the sea, as crazy as that sounds. This particular new species was reportedly found at around 450 to 750 feet below the water’s surface.
The shark that was discovered off the northeastern coast of Australia is a new and never-before-seen type called the painted hornshark. Though it may look like other hornsharks, this one has some unique characteristics that set it apart.
Most importantly, it has molars. Yes, you read that right. The damn thing has molars.
The painted hornshark actually has several rows of teeth, with some being more regular for fish and sharks, while others look eerily similar to the molars that we humans have. Their human-like teeth are apparently utilized for cracking open shelled creatures like mollusks and crustaceans.
Dr. Will White, a scientist that specializes in fish and shark research at the Australian National Fish Collection, told Live Science about the discovery:
“Compared to other Australian hornsharks, this species has a distinctive striped pattern. This pattern is very similar to the Zebra hornshark and was previously thought to be the same species.
Both species are pale with 22 dark brown bands and saddles. But they have small differences in the markings on their snouts and below their gill slits. Their egg cases are also different.”
Another thing that sets them apart from other sharks, and even the species they were once confused with, is their oversized jaw. The large jaw (which isn’t proportional with its body) enables them to crunch down on the prey that they usually seek out, mainly those with shells.
Their molars also help with that eating process, and it honestly still feels weird to be talking about a shark with molars…
