The whitetip weasel shark is a rare species of weasel shark living off the coasts of South America.
Whitetip Weasel Shark Scientific Classification |
|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Chondrichthyes |
| Order | Carcharhiniformes |
| Family | Hemigaleidae |
| Genus | Paragaleus |
| Scientific Name | P. leucolomatus |
Description
Only a single specimen of this shark has ever been captured, which serves as the current basis for the entire species. The shark captured was 3.1 ft long and had a long mouth, serrated upper and erect lower teeth and large oval eyes.
Whitetip weasel sharks display counter-shading, gray when viewed from above, and white from below. There are white tips on all the shark’s fins except for the second dorsal fin, which has a black tip.
Where do they live
Map Of The Whitetip Weasel Shark’s Habitat
They live along the coast of eastern South Africa in shallow waters.
Behavior
Reproductive
These sharks are viviparous.
Adaptations
Their streamlined bodies allow them to maneuver themselves easily while swimming.
Interactions with humans
The IUCN classified this shark as “Vulnerable” or “VU”.
On an episode of Animal Planet’s Extinct or Alive, an image of this shark was recovered after a long time, confirming it was still an extant species as of 2020 and had not yet gone extinct.
