Pristiophorus nancyae

The dwarf saw shark ( Pristiophorus nancyae ) is a shark from the family of Sägehaie ( Pristiophoridae ). Like its relatives, the shark is characterized by a long saw-like snout. He is known based on a few specimens of only a few deep waters in the western Indian Ocean off the coast of Mozambique, Somalia and possibly the coast of Pakistan. The species was not described until July 2011.

Features

The dwarf saw shark reaches a maximum length of about 62 cm ( males 45-50 cm, females 57-62 cm), making it the smallest known Sägehaiart. The body is constructed cylindrically long and slender. The head is flattened and has a greatly elongated and flattened snout with a typically Sägehaie serrated rostrum. The rostrum has a distinctive pair of barbels, which are much closer to the mouth than to the tip of the rostrum. The bases of the large side teeth of the " Saw" are provided with conspicuous ridges. On the underside of the rostrum, there is a very distinctive double row of conspicuously large pits, which are four to five behind the barbels.

The top of its body is uniformly brown, the underside is white. On the bright Rostrum dark brown stripes are located on the center line and at the edges. The pectoral fins and dorsal fins have dark leading and bright trailing edges.

The greenish eyes sitting side of the head, behind the large suction holes located close to. Like other species of the genus has the saw shark five gill slits. Like all Sägehaie he has two dorsal fins without spine and no anal fin. The first dorsal fin is large and triangular. Your rear tip reaches behind the center of the pelvic fin base. The caudal fin consists only of a large upper lobe while the lower lobe all Sägehaien missing.

Way of life

The dwarf saw shark is a Bodenhaiart that occurs in water depths of 286-500 meters. About his lifestyle data are very rare, probably it feeds from various predatory fish and other soil organisms.

Dissemination

The dwarf saw shark lives in the western Indian Ocean off the coast of Mozambique. Another deposit is located in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Somalia and the coast of Pakistan. The habitat is located in the region of the upper continental slope close to the seabed in water depths of 286-500 meters. In the western Indian Ocean, it is the only Pristiophorus type. From sympatric Sechskiemer - saw shark ( Pliotrema warreni ) it can be distinguished mainly by its five gill slits.