| Pygmy shark | |
|---|---|
.gif){kind=small}
| |
| Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling | |
| Conservation status | |
 Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Squaliformes |
| Family: | Dalatiidae |
| Genus: | Euprotomicrus T. N. Gill, 1865 |
| Species: | E. bispinatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Euprotomicrus bispinatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) | |
| |
| Range of pygmy shark (in blue) | |
The pygmy shark (Euprotomicrus bispinatus), the second-smallest of all the shark species after the dwarf lanternshark, is a squaliform shark of the family Dalatiidae, the only member of the genus Euprotomicrus. Their lengths are 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 eight young in each litter.
Conservation status
In June 2018 the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the pygmy shark as "Not Threatened" with the qualifier "Secure Overseas" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.
References
- Burgess, G.H. (2015). "Euprotomicrus bispinatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T60210A3093076. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T60210A3093076.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- Roberts, Clive; Stewart, A. L.; Struthers, Carl D.; Barker, Jeremy; Kortet, Salme; Freeborn, Michelle (2015). The fishes of New Zealand. Wellington, New Zealand: Te Papa Press. p. 164. ISBN 9780994104168. OCLC 908128805.
- Compagno, L.J.V. "Pygmy shark (Euprotomicrus bispinatus)". species-identification.org. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
- Carpenter, Kent E.; Valdestamon, Roxanne Rei (2019). "Euprotomicrus bispinatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) Pygmy shark". Fishbase. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
- Duffy, Clinton A. J.; Francis, Malcolm; Dunn, M. R.; Finucci, Brit; Ford, Richard; Hitchmough, Rod; Rolfe, Jeremy (2018). Conservation status of New Zealand chondrichthyans (chimaeras, sharks and rays), 2016 (PDF). Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Conservation. p. 10. ISBN 9781988514628. OCLC 1042901090.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Euprotomicrus bispinatus |
|