Ghostshark belongs to the Chimaeridae family.  The body is brown with a pattern of pale stripes and spots and has a long tapering tail.  The colouring pales to silver on the belly.  The head is blunt and rounded and the eyes large.

Ghostshark Fishery

Two related species are caught under the same TACC throughout the year off the central and southern continental shelf by trawling and deepwater longlining - Dark Ghostshark and Pale Ghostshark.  Ghostshark is most abundant in waters of 150 to 500 metres deep off the west coast of the South Island and on the Chatham Rise.  Much of the landing is a by-catch from the hoki fishery.

New Zealand's Ghostshark fishery is managed by strict quotas, which allow only a set amount of Ghostshark to be taken commercially each year. This Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) for Dark Ghostshark was set at 3,012 metric tonnes and for Pale Ghostshark at 1,780 tonnes for the 2009/10 fishing year.

Ghostshark Meat Quality

Ghostshark has white, firm textured and boneless fillets.  The fillets are sometimes marketed as pearl fillets.

For meal ideas using Ghostshark, check out recipes on the Greatest Meal on Earth website.