Natal shyshark
| Natal shyshark | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Subdivision: | Selachimorpha |
| Order: | Carcharhiniformes |
| Family: | Scyliorhinidae |
| Genus: | Haploblepharus |
| Species: | H. kistnasamyi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Haploblepharus kistnasamyi | |
| |
| Range of the Natal shyshark | |
The Natal shyshark, eastern shyshark or happy chappiehabitat degradation and commercial fishing, it has been assessed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Taxonomy
This species was once considered to be the "Natal" form of the
Leonard J.V. Compagno formally described this shark as a new species, in an article published in the scientific journal Zootaxa. They named it after South African shark researcher Nat Kistnasamy, the Natal shyshark's original discoverer.[3]
Distribution and habitat
The distribution of the Natal shyshark is restricted to the waters off the
benthic species, it can be found in the surf zone and on shallow rocky reefs.[2] As opposed to the puffadder shyshark, which inhabits deeper, cooler waters in the northeastern parts of its range, in those areas the Natal shyshark occurs in warm inshore waters at a depth of 0–30 m (0–98 ft).[4]
Description
The Natal shyshark closely resembles the puffadder shyshark, but has a more robust body, a less flattened head, and a laterally compressed
caudal peduncle.[5] The snout is broad and rounded, with very large nostrils and greatly expanded, triangular nasal skin flaps that reach the mouth. There are a pair of deep grooves, covered by the nasal flaps, that run from the excurrent (outflow) openings of the nostrils to the mouth. The mouth has furrows at the corners on both jaws, and contains teeth with 3–5 points. The eyes are large, with a rudimentary nictitating membrane (protective third eyelid) and a prominent ridge beneath. The five gill slits are positioned somewhat dorsally on the body.[4]
The
dermal denticles.[4] The back is brown, with a distinctive pattern of H-shaped, dark brown saddles with well-defined margins, along with numerous small white dots and darker mottling between the saddles. This species attains a length of 50 cm (20 in).[2]
Biology and ecology
The Natal shyshark is rarer than the puffadder shyshark and little is known of its habits. Males are
sexually mature at around 50 cm (20 in) long, and females at 48 cm (19 in) long.[2] The shysharks are so named because they curl into a ring and cover their eyes with their tails when threatened.[4]
Human interactions
The highly restricted range of the Natal shyshark is threatened by
habitat degradation from coastal development, particularly in the vicinity of Durban where industrial and tourism sectors have undergone rapid expansion. Furthermore, the region is subject to heavy fishing pressure, in particular from the commercial prawn fishery. Given its localized occurrence and presumably small population, this species has been assessed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).[1]
References
- ^ . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-691-12072-0.
- ^ "UCT Scientists Honour Shark Researcher" Archived 2009-09-20 at the Wayback Machine (January 18, 2009). The Times (South Africa). Retrieved on August 31, 2009.
- ^ ISBN 92-5-101384-5.
- .