Offbeat New species found in whale shark mouth
Rescued divers say they were surrounded by sharks while spearfishing near Augusta
Three spearfishing teenage divers sought refuge on a reef for an hour waiting to be rescued after bronze whaler sharks began circling them.The boys, two aged 16 and one 17-year-old were swimming at Cosy Corner beach south of Hamelin Bay around 2:00pm yesterday when they first spotted the sharks.
A whale shark 's mouth might not seem like the most hospitable environment for a home, but Japanese researchers have found there's no place like it for a Podocerus jinbe—named after the sharks they were first found in —are a variety of gammaridea, a species known for their hardy nature.
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species . The largest confirmed individual had a length of 18.8 m (62 ft)
© : Ko Tomikawa Podocerus jinbe -- named after the sharks they were first found in -- are a variety of gammaridea, a species known for their hardy nature A whale shark's mouth might not seem like the most hospitable environment for a home, but Japanese researchers have found there's no place like it for a newly-discovered shrimp-like creature.
The tiny inhabitants -- dubbed podocerus jinbe -- are a variety of gammaridea, a species known for their hardy ability to live in environments ranging from high mountains to the deep sea.
But lead researcher Ko Tomikawa, an associate professor at Hiroshima University, said he was "surprised" to find them living in the mouth of an animal.
Shark bites off tourist's foot in Airlie Beach attack
The shark bit off an English tourist's foot and left another with serious lacerations to his leg.The men were on a tour with ZigZag Whitsundays, which runs snorkelling tours in the region, when they were attacked about 10.20am today.
The whale shark is found in oceanic and coastal waters between latitudes 30°N and 35°S. The whale shark is generally a solitary species , but major feeding areas can see aggregations of over The shark catches its prey by either swimming with an open mouth , straining its food from the water
They’re the largest fish in the sea, lumbering quietly in open ocean waters where little has been known about them. The bus-sized whale sharks — docile creatures with a gaping mouth — have recently become endangered, as researchers have been enlisting tourists to help track and identify them.
"This creature, which is usually 3-5 centimetres long, is amazing because they can live in so many different kinds of environment," Tomikawa told AFP.
"But I didn't expect we would find one inside the mouth of a whale shark."
Gammaridea are a type of crustacean, a group that includes water fleas
The researcher said the new variety has a brown-coloured body of about five millimetres long and hairy legs, which help catch organic substances for food.
Whale sharks are known as jinbe zame in Japanese, inspiring their newly discovered residents' name.
And Tomikawa said there were some good reasons the species might choose such an unexpected location.
"The mouth of the whale shark is probably a good habitat because fresh seawater, which is necessary for them to breath comes in regularly, and food flows in too," he said.
"And it also provides a safe place without any predators."
The new variety was discovered after Tomikawa was contacted by an aquarium in southern Okinawa prefecture curious to know what appeared to be living in a whale shark there.
About a thousand of the creatures were found inside the gills of the shark's mouth, he said.
Fish species at Brisbane markets baffles scientists .
The grouper did not match any DNA species on record – but it was already sitting on ice at the fish markets.Fish expert at Queensland Museum Jeff Johnson was contacted by a fishermen who had sent him a photo of a grouper he had never seen before and asked for identification.
Topical videos:
Go inside the mouth of a whale shark
A behemoth 32-foot whale shark was captured on film by underwater videographers. These up close images give a rare view inside it's mouth! Check out more ...
Go inside the mouth of a whale shark
A behemoth 32-foot whale shark was captured on film by underwater videographers. These up close images give a rare view inside it's mouth! Check out more ...
See also:
Shark attack victim Alistair Raddon 'thought his mate had grabbed his leg' 
Qld's shark control program questioned after two men are attacked 
Scientists Find New Crustacean Species Living In Whale Shark's Gills 
Queensland tourist industry calls for extra shark control measures 
Qld tourism operators issue 'wish-list' aimed at preventing shark attacks 
Fish species at Brisbane markets baffles scientists Topical videos
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