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biodiversity explorer

the web of life in southern Africa

Dalatiidae (kitefin sharks)

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Deuterostomia > Chordata > Craniata > Vertebrata (vertebrates)  > Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) > Chondrichthyes > Elasmobranchii > Squalomorphii > Squaliformes > Dalatiidae

Species found in Southern Africa

Dalatias licha (Kitefin shark)

A blunt-headed, grey to black shark with thick fringed lips, huge triangular, serrated lower teeth, and equal-sized spineless dorsal fins.

Euprotomicroides zantedeschia (Taillight shark )

A small, compressed, blunt-nosed oceanic shark with no fin spines, ear-shaped pectoral fins, gill slits increasing greatly in width from front to back, and the cloaca formed into a large luminous gland found in no other shark. Colour dark brown, fin margins conspicuously white.

Euprotomicrus bispinatus (Pygmy shark)

A tiny cylindrical, black, oceanic shark with a bulbous, moderately long snout, large round eyes, tiny, equal-sized gill slits, no dorsal spines, 1st dorsal fin much smaller than 2nd and behind pectoral fins, and paddle-shaped caudal fin. Fins conspicuously light-edged; underside has rings of luminous organs surrounding the small flat denticles.

Heteroscymnoides marleyi (Longnose pygmy shark)

A tiny cylindrical, black, oceanic shark with a bulbous, moderately long snout, large round eyes, tiny, equal-sized gill slits, no dorsal spines, 1st dorsal fin much smaller than 2nd and behind pectoral fins, and paddle-shaped caudal fin. Fins conspicuously light-edged; underside has rings of luminous organs surrounding the small flat denticles.

Isistius brasiliensis (Cookiecutter shark)

 

Isistius plutodus (Largetooth cookiecutter shark)?

Small sharks with a long, flat snout with teeth on its sides and barbels below, 5-6 pairs of lateral gill slits, 2 spineless dorsal fins and no anal fin. All are live-bearers, without a placenta. 1 family, Pristiophoridae, with at least 6 species, 2 in the area. See sawfish.

 

Text by Leonard J.V. Compagno, David A. Ebert and Malcolm J. Smale