| Family: |
Hemigaleidae (Weasel sharks) |
| Max. size: |
140 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
demersal; marine; depth range - 100 m |
| Distribution: |
Eastern Atlantic: Cape Verde and Mauritania to northern Namibia (Ref. 244, 5578); possibly extending north to Morocco. Record from the Northwest Atlantic, specifically in New England, has not been verified even after an extensive survey of the area has been conducted. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 0-0. A slender weasel shark with a moderately long snout, large eyes, and a short, small mouth with small, serrated upper teeth and erect-cusped lower teeth (Ref. 5578). Light grey or bronze with longitudinal yellow stripes, fins plain; white below (Ref. 5578). |
| Biology: |
A very common inshore to offshore shark of the continental shelf occurring at depths of a few meters to slightly over 100 m (Ref. 244). A specialist feeder that prefers cephalopods, also feeds on small bony fishes (Ref. 244). Viviparous (Ref. 50449). Utilized fresh and dried salted for human consumption, and processed into fishmeal (Ref. 244). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Endangered (EN); Date assessed: 04 August 2020 (A2bd) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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