BWB – Can sharks be cute?

Sharks are often considered these ferocious and dangerous creatures of the depth of the ocean, but sharks are as diverse as dog races. There are big and harmless species and also tiny deep sea dwellers from which we almost know nothing. Today I want to present you two of the cutest shark families commonly known as cat sharks or in latin Scyliorhinidae and Pentanchidae.

Cat sharks are bottom dwelling small sharks which can be found in all of the oceans of the world. They are harmless sharks not measuring over 2m in length. The catsharks from shallow waters often have spots or stripes on the body which helps them to camouflage with their surroundings. Many catsharks are restricted to some areas of the world. For example one and personally one of the cutest, the Puffadder shyshark (Haploblepharus edwardsii) is endemic to the temperate coasts of South Africa. What all catsharks have in common though is their reproductions with eggs. These eggs, also know as “mermaid purses”, are attached to the sea floor or algae with tendrils. The empty egg cases can often be found then on beaches, so keep and eye out for them.

So I hope I could change your perspective on sharks with this short post. Sharks can be cute.

By Horst Schulte