An ultra-rare pocket shark has resurfaced after more than three decades as it was previously seen 36 years earlier.

The tiny shark from the Mollisquama species is only 5.5 inches long. The spotted shark was male and only a few weeks old. The species has two pockets beside its front fins but the purpose of these pockets is not yet identified. The shark looks like a small sperm whale and has a strong set of teeth. It also possesses unique belly patches that are not seen on other species of sharks.

The first such shark was discovered 36 years ago off the coast of Peru and it has not been spotted until now. The shark was a female adult and measured about 17 inches long and is at a museum in Russia. Experts said that they believe that the females grow bigger than males.

Researchers said that the shark was found together with a group of fish gathered in a 2010 study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The fish was collected about 190 miles off the coast of Louisiana while the NOAA was studying sperm whale feeding.

The new study was published in the zoological journal Zootaxa.