Rare Sailback Houndshark Rediscovered Papua New Guinea After 50 Years

The sailback houndshark (Gogolia filewoodi), a rare species distinguished by its unusually tall dorsal fin and previously known only from a single specimen collected in Papua New Guinea in 1973, has been rediscovered after more than 50 years. Between 2020 and 2022, researchers documented six individuals—five females and one male—near the mouth of the Gogol River in Astrolabe Bay, confirming the species' continued existence. This discovery was made through collaboration with local fishing communities and scientific verification involving international experts. The shark appears to prefer deeper waters close to the continental shelf and may be microendemic to this small area, with local fishers occasionally encountering it as bycatch. Despite its rarity and unique evolutionary lineage, little is known about its biology, and the species remains classified as 'data deficient' by the IUCN due to limited records. This rediscovery highlights both the rich biodiversity of Papua New Guinea’s marine environment and the importance of community-science partnerships in documenting elusive species.