Longnose pygmy shark
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| Heteroscymnoides marleyi Fowler, 1934 |
The longnose pygmy shark, Heteroscymnoides marleyi, is a sleeper shark of the family Dalatiidae, the only member of the genus Heteroscymnoides, found in the tropical southeast Atlantic and western Indian oceans, at depths down to 500 m. Its length is up to 29 cm.
The longnose pygmy shark is a cylindrical, dwarf dogfish shark with a long bulbous snout, small round eyes, and small gill slits. The caudal fin is paddle-shaped, and the ventral surface is covered with minute photophores.
It is probably oceanic. The holotype was caught off a beach, but a second specimen was taken in the Atlantic at night between the surface and 502 m. Food is unknown but may subsist on pelagic fish and invertebrates. It is probably ovoviviparous with very few young.
Coloration is dark brown with conspicuous light-edged fins.
[edit] References
- "Heteroscymnoides marleyi". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. May 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
