Puffadder shyshark
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| Haploblepharus edwardsii (Voigt, 1832) |
The puffadder shyshark, Haploblepharus edwardsii, is a cat shark of the family Scyliorhinidae found in South Africa from Cape Agulhas to Natal, from the surface to 130 m. Its length is up to 59 cm.
The puffadder shyshark is found in inshore and offshore waters of the continental shelf, on sandy and rocky bottoms. It feeds on bony fishes, crustaceans and cephalopods, and is caught by surf anglers.
This species was only separated from the Natal shyshark in 2006. Previously, there were thought to be two different forms of the same species, the 'Cape' and the 'Natal' types, which differed in coloration and habitat and might have been geographic variants.
Coloration of the puffadder shyshark is sandy brown with 7 reddish-brown saddles bordered by black, and numerous small, dark brown and white spots between saddles, and white below.
Reproduction is oviparous.
[edit] References
- "Haploblepharus edwardsii". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. July 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Compagno, Dando, & Fowler, Sharks of the World, Princeton University Press, New Jersey 2005 ISBN 0-691-12072-2
