Some 90 of the species were discovered as far back as the early 1990s and listed in a 1994 publication, Sharks and Rays of Australia. But, crucially, they remained undetailed scientifically.
Now, at the end of an 18-month project, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has provided full classifications for 110 species, including DNA identities, sizes, appearances and detailed characteristics.
The information has been welcomed by WWF-Australia, as it will make for more accurate monitoring of marine life for conservation research. Sharks and rays reproduce slowly, so are vulnerable to overfishing and other threats, including environmental change.
According to Peter Last of the CSIRO, the study has yielded the largest single batch of classifications of any such project carried out in Australia. And it was needed.
'Almost one third of the entire shark and ray fauna has been unnamed, or it has been until recently,' said Last. 'Really what it's telling us is that we've still got a lot to learn.'
A revised edition of Sharks and Rays of Australia will be published next year.
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