Puffadder shyshark

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Puffadder shyshark
A small shark with a broad, flattened head, covered with small white spots and orange-brown saddle-like markings, resting on a gravel sea bed
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Subdivision: Selachimorpha
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Scyliorhinidae
Genus: Haploblepharus
Species:
H. edwardsii
Binomial name
Haploblepharus edwardsii
(Schinz, 1822)
Partial world map with a blue outline along the coast of South Africa
Range of the puffadder shyshark
Synonyms

Scyllium edwardsii Schinz, 1822

The puffadder shyshark (Haploblepharus edwardsii), also known as the Happy Eddie, is a

temperate waters off the coast of South Africa. This common shark is found on or near the bottom in sandy or rocky habitats, from the intertidal zone to a depth of 130 m (430 ft). Typically reaching 60 cm (24 in) in length, the puffadder shyshark has a slender, flattened body and head. It is strikingly patterned with a series of dark-edged, bright orange "saddles" and numerous small white spots over its back. The Natal shyshark
(H. kistnasamyi), formally described in 2006, was once considered to be an alternate form of the puffadder shyshark.

When threatened, the puffadder shyshark (and other members of its genus) curls into a circle with its tail covering its eyes, giving rise to the local names "shyshark" and "doughnut". It is a

habitat degradation
.

Taxonomy and phylogeny

George Edwards' etching of the puffadder shyshark from Gleanings of natural history (1760).

The first known reference to the puffadder shyshark in literature was by prominent English naturalist

scientific name. In 1832, German zoologist Friedrich Siegmund Voigt translated Cuvier's description under the name Scyllium edwardsii, thus receiving attribution for the species. However, in 2001 M.J.P. van Oijen discovered that Swiss naturalist Heinrich Rudolf Schinz had provided an earlier translation of Cuvier's text with the proper scientific name in 1822, and subsequently the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) rendered a decision that this species is properly attributed to Schinz.[3][4][5] In 1913, American zoologist Samuel Garman created the new genus Haploblepharus for this and other shyshark species.[6]

Two

puff adder (Bitis arietans), a widely distributed African viper with similar coloration.[9] "Happy Eddie" (from the scientific name Haploblepharus edwardsii) is used by academics for this shark, and was recently introduced to the public as an easily remembered alternative to the ambiguous vernaculars "shyshark" and "doughnut", which can apply to several different species and have confounded research efforts.[5]

Description

Two small sharks lying on white gravel
Puffadder shysharks have a distinctive color pattern of orange "saddles" and small white spots.

The puffadder shyshark is more slender than other shysharks, with a short, broad, dorsally flattened head and a narrowly rounded snout.

sexually dimorphic: those of males are longer and three-pointed, while those of females are shorter and five-pointed.[10] Unusually, the two halves of the lower jaw are connected by a special cartilage, which allows a more even distribution of teeth and may increase bite strength.[11]

The five pairs of

dermal denticles.[6] The dorsal coloration consists of a light to dark brown background with a series of 8–10 striking yellowish to reddish brown "saddles" with darker margins, all covered by a profusion of small white spots. The underside is white. This species attains a length of 60 cm (24 in), with a maximum record of 69 cm (27 in).[12] Sharks found west of Cape Agulhas are smaller than those found east, reaching only 48 cm (19 in) long.[5]

Distribution and habitat

The range of the puffadder shyshark is limited to the

bottom-dwelling shark is most common over sandy or rocky bottoms. It is found in progressively deeper water towards the northeastern portion of its range, from 0–15 m (0–49 ft) off Cape Town to 40–130 m (130–430 ft) off KwaZulu-Natal; this distribution pattern may reflect this shark's preference for cooler waters.[6]

Biology and ecology

The puffadder shyshark is a slow-moving, benthic species.

Quite common within its small range, the sluggish and reclusive puffadder shyshark is often seen lying still on the sea floor.

common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) by tearing off an arm with a twisting motion.[15]

The puffadder shyshark is preyed upon by larger fishes, such as the

Cape fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) has been documented capturing and playing with puffadder shysharks, tossing them into the air or gnawing on them. The shark is often injured or killed during these encounters; the seal may eat torn-off pieces of flesh, but seldom consumes the entire shark. On occasion, black-backed kelp gulls (Larus dominicanus vetula) take advantage of this behavior and steal the sharks from the seals.[17] When threatened or disturbed, the puffadder shyshark adopts a characteristic posture in which it curls into a ring and covers its eyes with its tail; this reaction is the basis for the common names "shyshark" and "doughnut", and is likely meant to make the shark harder for a predator to swallow.[5][12]

The eggs of the puffadder shyshark are fed upon by the

isopod Gnathia pantherina, which infests the nares, mouth, and gills. The deep-penetrating mouthparts of these larvae significantly damage local tissue, causing bleeding and inflammation.[22]

Life history

Close-up of a rounded egg case with brown and cream bands, with coral in the background
The egg case of the puffadder shyshark has a different color pattern than those of other shysharks.

The puffadder shyshark is

maximum lifespan is at least 22 years.[14]

Human interactions

Harmless to humans, the puffadder shyshark can be easily caught by hand.

habitat degradation could potentially impact the entire population.[24]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T39345A124403633.en
    . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ Edwards, George (1760). Gleanings of Natural History, exhibiting figures of quadrupeds, birds, insects, plants &c... (in English and French). Vol. Part 2. London: Printed for the author, at the College of Physicians. pp. 169–170, Plate 289.
  3. ^ Schinz, Heinrich Rudolf (1822). Das Thierreich eingetheilt nach dem Bau der Thiere als Grundlage ihrer Naturgeschichte und der vergleichenden Anatomie (in German). Vol. 2. Stuttgart und Tübingen: in der J.G. Cotta'schen Buchhandlung. p. 214, Footnote.
  4. ^ International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (2003). "Opinion 2056 (Case 3186). Squalus edwardsii (currently Haploblepharus edwardsii; Chondrichthyes, Carcharhiniformes): attributed to Schinz, 1822 and edwardsii conserved as the correct original spelling of the specific name". Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. 60 (3): 250.
  5. ^
    doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1451.1.1
    .
  6. ^
    ISBN 978-92-5-101384-7
    .
  7. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1318.1.2
    .
  8. PMID 16293425
    .
  9. ^
    ISBN 978-1552096291
    .
  10. ^ a b Bester, C. Biological Profiles: Puffadder Shyshark Archived 2012-05-24 at the Wayback Machine. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department. Retrieved on August 31, 2009.
  11. ^
    ISBN 978-1-86825-394-4
    .
  12. ^
    ISBN 978-0-691-12072-0
    .
  13. ISBN 978-1-920033-01-9
    .
  14. ^ a b c Dainty, A.M. (2002). Biology and ecology of four catshark species in the southwestern Cape, South Africa. M.Sc. thesis, University of Cape Town.
  15. ^ Lechanteur, Y.A.R.G. & C.L. Griffiths (October 2003). "Diets of common suprabenthic reef fish in False Bay, South Africa". African Zoology. 38 (2): 213–227.
  16. doi:10.2989/025776191784287547
    .
  17. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2004.00339.x
    .
  18. doi:10.1080/02541858.1997.11448441
    .
  19. S2CID 86498165
    .
  20. S2CID 22873948
    .
  21. doi:10.1163/1568540043165985
    .
  22. PMID 17241405
    .
  23. doi:10.1080/02541858.1997.11448441
    .
  24. ^
    ISBN 978-2-8317-0700-6
    .

External links

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