The hammerhead sharks are a group of sharks that form the family Sphyrnidae, named for the unusual and distinctive form of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a cephalofoil. The shark's eyes are placed one on each end of this T-shaped structure, with their small mouths directly centered and underneath. Most hammerhead species are placed in the genus Sphyrna, while the winghead shark is placed in its own genus, Eusphyra. Many different—but not necessarily mutually exclusive—functions have been postulated for the cephalofoil, including sensory reception, manoeuvering, and prey manipulation. The cephalofoil gives the shark superior binocular vision and depth perception.
The scalloped bonnethead is a rare, little-known species of hammerhead shark in the family Sphyrnidae. Its other common names include the mallethead shark and the crown shark. It is found in tropical and subtropical waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean, from Mexico to Peru, and possibly as far north as the Gulf of California. It frequents inshore habitats over soft bottoms to a depth of 100 m, and also enters mangroves and estuaries.
The balloon shark is a species of catshark, and part of the family Scyliorhinidae, endemic to the southwestern Indian Ocean off South Africa and Mozambique. Benthic in nature, it is found over sandy and muddy flats at depths of 40–600 m (130–1,970 ft). This thick-bodied species has a broad, flattened head and a short tail; its distinguishing traits include narrow, lobe-like skin flaps in front of the nostrils, and a dorsal color pattern of faint darker saddles on a light grayish background.
The brown shyshark or plain happy is a species of shark belonging to the family Pentanchidae, the deepwater catsharks. It is endemic to the shallow, coastal waters of South Africa from west of Cape Agulhas to KwaZulu-Natal. This benthic species is usually found over sandy or rocky bottoms. Measuring up to 73 cm (29 in) long, the brown shyshark is stoutly built, with a broad, flattened head and rounded snout. Unlike other shysharks, the brown shyshark has a plain brown color, though some individuals have faint "saddle" markings or light or dark spots. When threatened, this shark curls into a circle with its tail over its eyes, which is the origin of the name "shyshark". It feeds on bony fishes and lobsters, and is oviparous with females laying pairs of egg capsules. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed this harmless species as Vulnerable. It is of no commercial or recreational interest, but its limited distribution makes its entire population vulnerable to increases in fishing pressure or habitat degradation.
The dark shyshark or pretty happy is a species of shark belonging to the family Pentanchidae, the deepwater catsharks. This species is endemic to the temperate waters off southern Namibia and western South Africa. It is benthic in nature and inhabits shallow, inshore waters and favors rocky reefs and kelp forests. Growing to 60 cm (24 in) long, this small, stocky shark has a wide, flattened head with a rounded snout and a large flap of skin extending from before the nostrils to the mouth. Its dorsal coloration is extremely variable and may feature black-edged orange to blackish saddles and/or white spots on a light brown to nearly black background.
The yellowspotted catshark is a rare catshark of the family Scyliorhinidae. It is found in the southeast Atlantic, from Lüderitz, Namibia to central Natal, South Africa, between latitudes 0° and 37° S. It can grow up to a length of about 1.22 metres. The reproduction of this catshark is oviparous.
The little dragonfish or short dragonfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish in the family Pegasidae. It is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea.
Eurypegasus is one of two genera of seamoths in the family Pegasidae. Species in this genus are native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
The Hawaiian sea-moth fish is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Pegasidae. It is endemic to Hawaii. The only other species in the genus is Eurypegasus draconis.
The knobby seahorse, also known as the short-headed seahorse or short-snouted seahorse, is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It inhabits coastal waters in southwestern and southeastern Australia, from Gregory to Bremer Bay, and from Denial Bay to Newcastle.
Hippocampus guttulatus, commonly known as the long-snouted seahorse and in Great Britain as the spiny seahorse, is a marine fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae, native from the northeast Atlantic, including the Mediterranean.
The brick seamoth, Pegasus laternarius, also known as the long-tailed dragonfish, long-tailed seamoth, pelagic dragon-fish, or the winged dragonfish, is a species of ray-finned fish in the Pegasidae, or seamoth, family. This species is used extensively in the Guangdong and Guangxi province of China to treat scrofula, cough, and diarrhea.
The longtail seamoth is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Pegasidae. It is found around the coasts of Australia, Bahrain, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mozambique, Myanmar, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Tanzania, and Thailand. This fish is used in Chinese medicine and in the aquarium trade.
Pegasus is a genus of seamoths found in coastal tropical marine waters. The name was taken from the winged horse Pegasus in Greek mythology. This horse was created with Medusa´s blood. The member species are distributed in the Indo-West Pacific Ocean waters around: Australia, Bahrain, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mozambique, Myanmar, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Tanzania and Thailand.
Pegasus lancifer, the sculptured seamoth or sculptured dragonfish, is a species of seamoth which is endemic to the temperate seas of southern Australia and Tasmania. They are known to gather in large numbers in the shallows of estuaries. Individuals can bury themselves in the sediment and change colours to camouflage them. The male & female spawn as a pair, swimming with their vents touching around a 1 metre (3.3 ft) above the substrate, while the eggs and sperm are released. After spawning the pair separates and the eggs begin a pelagic phase.
Syngnathus macrobrachium is a species of pipefishes, which is common in the southern-eastern Pacific in the coastal waters from Tumbes (Peru) to Puerto Montt (Chile). It is a marine subtropical demersal fish, up to 22.5 centimetres (8.9 in) length. Very little is known about this species' biology but it is thought that it lives over sand and other soft sea beds in shallow coastal waters including estuaries and brackish lagoons. This species is ovoviviparous, the males brood the fertilised eggs below the tail before giving birth to the larvae.
The long-tailed ghost pipefish or armored ghost pipefish is a ghost pipefish in the family Solenostomidae. The species name comes from the Greek armatura, referring to this fish's armor of dermal plates. Solenostomus leptosoma is now considered a synonym of S. armatus, the valid species identification.
The onefin electric ray or Cape numbfish is a common but little-known species of electric ray in the family Narkidae, native to South Africa and Namibia. It is a benthic fish found in shallow coastal bays over sandy or muddy bottoms. This small species reaches 38 cm (15 in) in length, and has a nearly circular pectoral fin disc and a short, muscular tail that supports a large caudal fin. It can be identified by its single dorsal fin, which is located over the large pelvic fins. Its dorsal coloration is yellowish to dusky brown.
Pegasus tetrabelos is a species of coastal sea moth which occurs over muddy and sandy substrates in seas off northeastern Australia. It was described in 2016, separated from the more widespread and sympatric P. volitans.
