Name: Dark shyshark, shyshark
Scientific Name: Haploblepharus pictus (Müller & Henle, 1838)
Family: Scyliorhinidae
Group: Sharks, rays and chimaeras
Class: Fish
Size: 51-100 cm.
The dark shyshark owes its name to the fact that when distressed, it rolls up its body and covers its eyes with its tail. It is a species exclusive to the coastal waters of Namibia and South Africa, which lives on sandy bottoms. Like other members of this family, every egg of the dark shyshark is protected by a strong capsule, with filaments to attach to rocks and algae. The females lay only two eggs and some months later, the juveniles emerge fully formed and measuring about 11 cm.
Photo by:
Doug Perrine (www.flmnh.ufl.edu)
Oceanário Location
Antarctic
