A shark named after Gollum and Philippines’ Sulu Sea.
Discovered off Palawan island in the western sector of the Sulu Sea basin, this harmless shark stands out because of its scientific name.
Gollum suluensis was named after the Philippine sea where it was discovered and Gollum, the famous fictional character from the Lord of the Rings.
Compared to its cousin, the New Zealand gollumshark
(G. attenuatus), the Sulu gollumshark has a “darker, plainer and less contrasted coloration, softer body, shorter and broader snout,
smaller spiracle, larger pectoral fin, wider head, as well as larger proportions of the nostril, mouth and interorbital space.”
