Pygmy shark
Encyclopedia
The pygmy shark, Euprotomicrus bispinatus, the second-smallest of all the shark species after the dwarf lanternshark
, is a sleeper shark of the Dalatiidae
family, the only member
of the genus
Euprotomicrus. Their length is up to about 25 cm (10 in) for females and about 22 cm (8.7 in) for males.
Pygmy sharks are ovoviviparous
and produce about 8 young in each litter.
Dwarf lanternshark
The dwarf lanternshark is a little-known species of dogfish shark in the family Etmopteridae and possibly the smallest shark in the world, reaching a maximum known length of . It is known to be present only on the upper continental slopes off Colombia and Venezuela, at a depth of...
, is a sleeper shark of the Dalatiidae
Dalatiidae
Dalatiidae is a family of sharks in the order Squaliformes, commonly known as kitefin sharks . Members of this family are small, under long, and are found worldwide. They have cigar-shaped bodies with narrow heads and rounded snouts...
family, the only member
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Euprotomicrus. Their length is up to about 25 cm (10 in) for females and about 22 cm (8.7 in) for males.
Pygmy sharks are ovoviviparous
Ovoviviparity
Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, or ovivipary, is a mode of reproduction in animals in which embryos develop inside eggs that are retained within the mother's body until they are ready to hatch...
and produce about 8 young in each litter.