It has taken scientists more than 17 years to identify this new miniature shark species (Etmopterus lailae ) since it was first discovered.

Scientists have discovered a glow-in-the-dark shark species that has an unusually large nose, weighs a little less than a kilo and measures less than a foot.

It has taken scientists more than 17 years to identify this new species (Etmopterus lailae ) since it was first discovered.

More about the new glow-in-the-dark shark species

The new species is a member of the lanternshark family, and has been named Etmopterus lailae
It lives 1,000 feet below the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Like other lanternsharks, the Etmopterus lailae is bio-luminescent and the flanks on the bottom of its belly glow in the dark. The markings on its belly and tail also were specific to this new species
Some of its distinctive characteristics include its flank markings that go forward and backward on their bellies and a naked patch without scales on the underside of its snout

It also has some of the internal differences such as the number of vertebrae they have as well as fewer teeth than the other sharks
"This species is very understudied because of its size and the fact that it lives in very deep water. They are not easily visible or accessible like so many other sharks," said Stephen M Kajiura, professor at Florida Atlantic University, according to PTI.
"The unique features and characteristics of this new species really set it apart from the other lanternsharks," Kajiura said.

"For one thing, it has a strange head shape and an unusually large and bulgy snout where its nostrils and olfactory organs are located. These creatures are living in a deep sea environment with almost no light so they need to have a big sniffer to find food," he said.

The study was published in the journal Zootaxa.