Dwarf False Catshark in Sri Lanka

“Sharks are beautiful animals, and if you’re lucky enough to see lots of them, that means that you’re in a healthy ocean. You should be afraid if you are in the ocean and don’t see sharks”

- Sylvia Earle -

The ocean, which covers the majority of the earth's surface, is home to a variety of animals including fish, seahorses, clownfish, sea turtles, and sea sharks.

Why do we need sharks ?

Sharks keep the marine ecosystem healthy, and they are vital to the survival of the ocean and humankind.

Catshark is a unique species that can be found in the ocean. It is known to have two members: the Pygmy false shark and the Dwarf false catshark. The pygmy false shark is commonly found off the coasts of India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.

The dwarf false catshark, scientifically known as Planonasus parini, is a type of ground shark found in the Indian Ocean near Socotra. They are members of the Pseudotriakidae family. Dwarf False Catsharks are small deep-water sharks that live at depths ranging from 560 to 1,120 meters. They are endemic to the Arabian Seas, and the only three recorded were in the late 1980s off the coast of Socotra Island. They move around using carharhinform.

Have you ever heard of Dwarf False Catshark in Sri Lanka ?

The first record of Planonasus parini from Sri Lanka was recorded in the year 2017 near the southwestern portion of the Bay of Bengal.

A local fisherman landed a rare deep-sea shark near the Southwest Bay of Bengal. It was discovered between 300 and 600 meters deep off the coast of Trincomalee Outer Harbor, near Norway Inlet. The specimen's total length was estimated to be around 55 cm. The unidentified species was a soft, stout to a rather slender-bodied distinctive shark with a relatively long head and bell-shaped, flattened snout, moderately long, oval-shaped eyes, very large spiracles, and a uniformly plain dusky grayish-brown coloration with a darker shade ventral head surface, lateral flanks, and fin edges.

Rex I. De Silva and Dr. David A Ebert were tasked with identifying the rare deep-sea shark taken by Menaka L. Goonewardena. Later, it was identified by Dr. David A. Ebert as Planonasus parini.

Dwarf false catsharks are classified as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) because they live in very deep seas beyond the reach of fishing operations and have no other known risks. Therefore currently, there are no conservation measures in place for these species.

Written By: Rtr.Sewmini Assalaratchi