Nemo Johnson, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, discovered the impressive fish while participating in a Sea Save Foundation Expedition.  “We know that there are many still undescribed species of flora and fauna in the water surrounding Cocos Island, but we were never expecting to find something of this size and biological significance.”

Carcharodon chameleonarias  is probably most closely related to the Carcharodon carcharias, better known as the Great White Shark. While more study is needed, the new species is thought to be an expert predator and potential holds many clues to shark evolution and adaptability.  DNA analysis is still needed, as scientists were unable to recover tissue samples. 

The discovery was described in “The Journal of Chondrichthyes” A follow-up Sea Save Foundation expedition is being planned. Be sure to add your name to the SeaSave.org newsletter for future updates.