New breed of shark found in Aussie waters
A new form of hybrid sharks have been found by scientists in Australian waters.
The Australian blacktip shark and the common blacktip shark, two genetically different but related species, are crossbreeding according to scientists.
Across a 2000km section of the Queensland and NSW coast, 57 animals have been discovered by marine biologists, News Limited reported.
It is believed that the cross-breeding is a sign that the sharks are adapting to climate change.
Dr Jennifer Ovenden, of the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, said: "Hybridization could enable the sharks to adapt to environmental change as the smaller Australian black tip currently favours tropical waters in the north while the larger common black tip is more abundant in sub-tropical and temperate waters along the south-eastern Australian coastline."
She added: "Wild hybrids are usually hard to find, so detecting hybrids and their offspring is extraordinary. To find 57 hybrids along 2000km of coastline is unprecedented."
Colin Simpfendorfer, of James Cook University's Fishing and Fisheries Research Centre, said: "The results of this research show that we still have a lot to learn about these important ocean predators."
