The Atlantic weasel shark also called the “little tiger shark”, is a species of weasel shark living in the eastern Atlantic.
Atlantic Weasel Shark Scientific Classification |
|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Chondrichthyes |
| Order | Carcharhiniformes |
| Family | Hemigaleidae |
| Genus | Paragaleus |
| Scientific Name | P. pectoralis |
Description
Atlantic weasel sharks are one of the smallest shark species, with the maximum estimated length and weight being 4.53 ft and 24 lb. They are slender-bodied, with large eyes and a long snout. Inside their short mouth, one can observe rows of serrated teeth in the upper jaw and cusped erect lower teeth.
The first dorsal fin is bigger than the second, and the caudal fin has an asymmetrical upper lobe. Its body is a light grey, with yellow stripes running along both sides of its body.
Where do they live
Map Of The Atlantic Weasel Shark’s Habitat
This shark lives in the eastern Atlantic, with sightings around Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
It seems to prefer the surf zone of tropical or temperate waters.
Behavior
Feeding
The Atlantic weasel shark is a specialist feeder, sustaining itself primarily on cephalopods like octopi and squids as well as small bony fish like sardines and soles.
Reproductive
These sharks mate from March to May and give live birth to a litter of 1-4 pups from May to June. Initially, the newborn sharks are 18.5 inches long, while sexual maturity is observed in males at 31.4 inches and females between 29.5-35.4 inches.
Interactions with humans
The IUCN lists this shark as “Endangered” or “EN”, mainly because anglers commonly catch them in the eastern Atlantic. Their meat is often dried and consumed and even processed into fishmeal.
