Species thought to be wiped out by overfishing – until now

• The sailback houndshark, Gogolia filewoodi, a species believed to be wiped out due to overfishing, has been sighted for the first time in over five decades in Papua New Guinea.
• Scientists documented six new individuals of this extremely rare shark, previously known only from a single specimen described in the 1970s.
• The sightings occurred in 2020 and 2022 near the Gogol River mouth in Madang, Papua New Guinea, based on surveys of catches by local artisanal and subsistence fishers.
• Researchers highlight that the species, endemic to Papua New Guinea, possesses a unique evolutionary lineage and is classified as 'data deficient' by the IUCN due to a lack of information.
• The findings suggest the shark's geographic range is likely restricted, making it susceptible to population declines from increased fishing, and underscore the importance of artisanal surveys in poorly studied regions.

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Rare shark species thought to be extinct rediscovered after decades