The mysterious and pre-historic Ghost Shark is one of the most elusive creatures in the ocean and has fascinated researchers who have been desperate to catch a glimpse for decades. Now the researchers who spotted the eerie spook fish, also known as Chimaera, off the coast of Hawaii and California say it was "dumb luck" that they managed to catch it on camera. While it is called a Ghost Shark, the fish is actually a member of the elasmobranchs, which is related to sharks but not actually classified as one.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Ghost Shark makes an appearance for the first time

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute The shark has a retractable sex organ on its head

It’s almost a little comical. It would come up and bounce its nose off the lens and swim around and come back Dave Ebert, from the Pacific Shark Research Center

The species was previously known to make its habitat in the southern Hemisphere but appears to have swapped the south for the north, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). Dave Ebert, from the Pacific Shark Research Center, told National Geographic: “Normally, people probably wouldn’t have been looking around in this area, so it’s a little bit of dumb luck. “It’s almost a little comical. It would come up and bounce its nose off the lens and swim around and come back."

Researchers say the sharks live deep in the ocean and do everything they can to avoid sunlight – which earned them their ominous moniker. Geologists tracked the species using a remotely-operated vehicle in the northern Pacific. Known to be older than dinosaurs, they are believed to have evolved 300 million years ago.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute This amazing fish has been around since before the dinosaurs

They are not known to have sharp teeth and apparently don't have a taste for humans, preferring instead to focus on worms and other protein they find in the sand at the bottom of the ocean. Bizarrely, the male species of the shark also have a mating tool on top of their heads.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute The shark has been filmed in the northern hemisphere for the first time

Top facts about sharks Sat, July 30, 2016 To mark Shark Awareness Day 2016, we look at some lesser-known facts about the species. Play slideshow SERGIO RICCARDO/ CATERS NEWS 1 of 10 Great white sharks eat 11 tons of food a year while the average human eats closer to half a ton of food each year.