Pygmy Shark

About the Pygmy Shark

The Pygmy shark, the second smallest of all the shark species, is a sleeper shark of the Dalatiidae family, and only member of the genus Euprotomicrus.

Biology and Description:

The Pygmy shark is a small dogfish with a cigar-shaped body, a distinct collar mark around the gill region, a conical snout, large round eyes, enlarged triangular lower teeth, and equal sized gill slits. Both dorsal fins are small, and the caudal fin as a paddle-like shape with nearly symmetrical upper and lower lobes. This species is ovoviviparous with 8 pups per litter with a size at birth between 6-10 cm TL. Females reach maturity at 22-23 cm TL and males at 17-19 cm TL, making this shark one of the smallest in the world. Feeds on squid, bony fish, and crustaceans.  

Habitat:

The Pygmy shark is an epipelagic, mesopelagic, and bathypelagic oceanic species found from the surface to deeper than 1,500 m over oceans. It is a bioluminescent vertical migrator that ascends to or near the surface during the night, and descends into midwater and possibly to the bottom by day.

Conservation:

There are no apparent threats to this species, Its small size, and epipelagic/mesopelagic/bathypelagic nature preclude it from capture in most fisheries. There are no current species-specific conservation measures in place for this species.  

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