| Hemigaleidae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Hooktooth shark, Chaenogaleus macrostoma | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Carcharhiniformes |
| Suborder: | Carcharhinoidei |
| Family: | Hemigaleidae Compagno, 1984 |
| Genera | |
| |
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 100 m (330 ft).[1]
Most species are small, reaching no more than 1.4 m (4.6 ft) long, though the snaggletooth shark (Hemipristis elongatus) may reach 2.4 m (7.9 ft). They have horizontally oval eyes, small spiracles, and precaudal pits. Two dorsal fins occur with the base of the first placed well forward of the pelvic fins. The caudal fin has a strong ventral lobe and undulations on the dorsal lobe margin. They feed on a variety of small bony fishes and invertebrates; at least two species specialize on cephalopods. They are not known to have attacked people.[2]
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Hemigaleidae". FishBase. February 2011 version.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
compagnowas invoked but never defined (see the help page).