The slender weasel shark, ''Paragaleus longicaudatus'', is a

weasel shark The weasel sharks are a family, the Hemigaleidae, of ground sharks found from the eastern Atlantic Ocean to the continental Indo-Pacific. They are found in shallow coastal waters to a depth of . Most species are small, reaching no more than lo ...

of the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Hemigaleidae The weasel sharks are a family, the Hemigaleidae, of ground sharks found from the eastern Atlantic Ocean to the continental Indo-Pacific. They are found in shallow coastal waters to a depth of . Most species are small, reaching no more than lo ...

. It is found in the western

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

, off

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

. It can grow up to a length of . The slender weasel shark is a harmless

Viviparous In animals, viviparity is development of the embryo inside the body of the mother, with the maternal circulation providing for the metabolic needs of the embryo's development, until the mother gives birth to a fully or partially developed juve ...

species, about which little is known.

Morphology

The slender weasel shark is often mistaken for smaller sharks in the family Carcharhinidae and thus neglected in studies, however it is easy to identify morphologically. The shark has distinctly narrow, strongly falcated pectoral fins, short gill slits, a wedge like snout, and small spiracles. A notable feature is on the underside of the shark’s head where two dusky stripes are found parallel to each other at the tip of the snout.

Biology

Little is known about ''P. longicaudatus''' behaviour and its distribution. However, dissections of specimens suggests that its diet mainly comprises

cephalopods A cephalopod is any member of the molluscan Taxonomic rank, class Cephalopoda (Greek language, Greek plural , ; "head-feet") such as a squid, octopus, cuttlefish, or nautilus. These exclusively marine animals are characterized by bilateral symm ...

References

* slender weasel shark Fish of the Indian Ocean Marine fauna of South Asia slender weasel shark {{Shark-stub