Although unusual, South Africa has a number of kitefin sharks, including the kitefin shark ( Dalatias licha) itself, after which the whole family is named, the longnose pygmy shark ( Heteroscymnoides marleyi) which all inhabits the coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Kitefin sharks are small, cigar-shaped sharks with various adaptations that make them particularly well suited to life in the deep sea, such as bioluminescence, large fat-filled livers and short fins. Members of this order possess some unusual traits - glow-in-the-dark organs, active camouflage and weirdly shaped teeth. ![]() With that monkey business taken care of - let's talk sharks!ĭogfish are a large order of sharks that share a number of characteristics with catsharks, but are otherwise very variable in size and shape. A "family" is a bit narrower and would be something like "the great apes", which would include humans, chimps and gorillas. An example of an "order" that you might be more familiar with is "primate", which would include you, all the monkeys and the apes. These animals are amazing, and South Africa is home to 117 different types of sharks, representing all their major families.Ī quick note before we get into this exciting run-down of South African sharks: When organisms are classified, taxonomists use the terms "order" and "family" to group connected species together - these are the terms you'll see below. Some sharks hunt with large serrated teeth, some use electric shocks, some use their huge tails to whip their prey, some are even covered in spikes like a porcupine or poop out glow-in-the-dark blue ink to frighten predators. But, did you know that we are also one of the countries with the highest diversity of sharks too?Ĭurrently, there are about 440 known species of shark in the world, ranging from the massive whale shark to the tiny dwarf lanternshark. South Africa is a country of diversity - our people, languages, animals, foods, cultures, music and much more are all a reflection of this.
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