Pondicherry Shark

About the Pondicherry Shark

The Pondicherry Shark, or Long-Nosed shark, is a very rare Indo-West Pacific species, belonging to the Carcharhinidae family. Last recorded in 1979 in India, and in 2019 a specimen was discovered in Sri Lanka that is believed to be a Pondicherry Shark, though the identification is awaiting scientific confirmation.

The Pondicherry Shark is a rare shark found on the continental and insular shelves of the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific, from India to New Guinea. Little is known about their particular size or breeding habits.

The Framework for using the Threats Model and the Records and Survey Model was applied to the Pondicherry Shark. The probability that the combination of threats (generally unregulated fisheries across its historic range) affecting the species occurred for a sufficient duration and were sufficiently severe that they caused local extinction, and the probability that threats occurred over the entire range of the species, were both very high. As a consequence, the probability that the species is extinct from the Threats Model is 0.81 (minimum = 0.64; maximum = 1.00). Its range has been subject to considerable survey effort directed at sharks and rays in general, and some dedicated searches for this species, all of which have failed to produce a verified record. Given the wide distribution of the species, these surveys have generally covered a small proportion of the species’ range. Furthermore, given the identification issues, the probability that the species could have been reliably identified in the surveys is low. The probability that the species is extinct from the Records and Survey Model is 0.12 (minimum = 0; maximum = 0.31). The weighted average probability of extinction is 0.44–0.45, which is <0.5 and therefore outside the threshold for Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct).

Given a lack of verifiable records since 1960, it is considered that the major population reduction would have occurred prior to the last three generation period (estimated at 27 years from a congener), therefore an assessment under criterion A is not appropriate. However, given the lack of records, the number of mature individuals is assumed to be <250 with no subpopulation >50 mature individuals, and the species is assessed as Critically Endangered (C2a(i)).

This species was probably utilized locally for human consumption.India is the only country across the range of this species with specific regulations protecting the Pondicherry Shark under Schedule I of the (Indian) Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

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Pondicherry Shark Gallery