Dalatiidae (kitefin sharks)
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Squaliformes > Dalatiidae
Species found in Southern Africa
Dalatias licha (Kitefin shark) A blunt-headed, grey to black shark with thick
fringed lips, huge triangular, serrated lower teeth, and equal-sized
spineless dorsal fins. |
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Euprotomicroides zantedeschia (Taillight shark ) A small, compressed, blunt-nosed oceanic shark
with no fin spines, ear-shaped pectoral fins, gill slits increasing
greatly in width from front to back, and the cloaca formed into a
large luminous gland found in no other shark. Colour dark brown, fin
margins conspicuously white. |
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Euprotomicrus
bispinatus (Pygmy shark) A tiny cylindrical, black, oceanic shark with a
bulbous, moderately long snout, large round eyes, tiny, equal-sized
gill slits, no dorsal spines, 1st dorsal fin much smaller than 2nd
and behind pectoral fins, and paddle-shaped caudal fin. Fins
conspicuously light-edged; underside has rings of luminous organs
surrounding the small flat denticles. |
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Heteroscymnoides
marleyi (Longnose pygmy shark) A tiny cylindrical, black, oceanic shark with a
bulbous, moderately long snout, large round eyes, tiny, equal-sized
gill slits, no dorsal spines, 1st dorsal fin much smaller than 2nd
and behind pectoral fins, and paddle-shaped caudal fin. Fins
conspicuously light-edged; underside has rings of luminous organs
surrounding the small flat denticles. |
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Isistius
brasiliensis (Cookiecutter shark) |
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Isistius
plutodus (Largetooth cookiecutter shark)? Small sharks with a long, flat snout with teeth
on its sides and barbels below, 5-6 pairs of lateral gill slits, 2
spineless dorsal fins and no anal fin. All are live-bearers, without
a placenta. 1 family, Pristiophoridae, with at least 6 species, 2 in
the area. See sawfish. |
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Text by Leonard J.V. Compagno, David A. Ebert
and Malcolm J. Smale
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