Second Ultra Rare Pocket Shark Discovered in Gulf of Mexico - Only Two Of Its Species in The World

A very rare pocket shark was discovered off the Gulf of Mexico. It is believed to be second of its species ever seen in the whole world.

The tiny shark was found to five and a half inches long, male, and was only a couple of weeks old when it was caught by the net among a group of fish collected for a scientific study from the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration.

The specimen was found last 2010 and preserved in a freezer before it was identified as a "pocket shark," according to Tech Times.

"Discovering him has us thinking about where mom and dad may be, and how they got to the Gulf," says Mark Grace, lead author of the study and member of NOAA. The discovery was published in the taxonomy journal Zootaxa.

The first known specimen of its kind was female, measured to be about 17 inches long, and got caught many years ago and in another part of the world. "The only other known specimen was found very far away, off Peru, 36 years ago," Grace added. The researchers believe that adult female pocket sharks may be larger than their male counterparts.

Considered to be among the world's rarest find, according to Eureka Alert, its name, "pocket shark," refers to the two pockets found next to its front fin and not because of its size. It is unclear what purpose the orifice serves, according to the scientists.

"I wasn't really sure what it was," Grace said. "That pocket over on the pectoral fin, I had never seen anything like that on a shark." Its scientific name is Mollisquama sp., and was considered to be a close kin of cookie cutter and kitefin sharks - all from the Dalatiidae family.

The researchers from Tulane University, Michael Doosey and Henry Bart, along with NOAA's Ocean Services genetics expert Gavin Naylor were recruited to closely examine the specimen.

"It's cute," said co-author Doosey via Fox News. "It almost looks like a little whale."

"This record of such an unusual and extremely rare fish is exciting, but it's also an important reminder that we still have much to learn about the species that inhabit our oceans," Grace said, according to Eureka Alert.

Even though there are only two specimens found from the world's vast oceans and both were discovered in different sections, the findings suggest that there may be more under the sea waiting to be discovered.

"There's others", Grace said. "We just haven't caught them yet."