Small, slender grey-brown shark with a long ribbon-like caudal fin and relatively long snout compared with its congeners. Marine outer shelf and upper continental slope, approximately 180–480 m.
Wildlife education
This record supports wildlife education. Aquarium-care questions are not assigned to this profile.
Wildlife education profile; reviewed natural-history sources do not establish a captive operating protocol.
Wildlife reference; no home-aquarium stocking recommendation or validated captive operating protocol is supplied. Public-aquarium photographs document living animals, not suitability for private keeping.
Outstanding care evidence
- Institutional lifetime husbandry and veterinary protocol
Identification
Small, slender grey-brown shark with a long ribbon-like caudal fin and relatively long snout compared with its congeners.
Names and Classification
Original combination Neotriakis sinuans, now Eridacnis in Proscylliidae. Also published under Neotriakis sinuans.
Adult Size
Published upper reference is about 37 cm total length in females; male maturity has been reported around 29–30 cm.
Distribution and Habitat
Southwestern Indian Ocean off South Africa, Mozambique and Tanzania. Marine outer shelf and upper continental slope, approximately 180–480 m.
Feeding and Ecological Role
Small fishes, crustaceans and cephalopods are reported in catalogues, but a detailed species-specific dietary study remains lacking. Sex-biased catches suggest spatial or depth segregation, but survey coverage affects this interpretation. Recorded in modern Western Indian Ocean demersal trawl research.
Reproduction and Life History
Yolk-sac live-bearing; two young are reported, approximately 15–17 cm at birth.
Conservation
Least Concern (IUCN Red List global species assessment; Assessed 25 April 2018; published 2019; checked 2026-10-17). Global category; survey occurrence does not establish a species-wide population trajectory.
Responsible Observation
Observe without chasing, feeding, touching or obstructing the animal. Keep fins and equipment off resting rays and sharks; give sawfishes and wedgefishes room to move. Follow the site’s local wildlife rules and use responsible dive operators.
About the Photographs
No freely reusable photograph of a verified living specimen was found in this search. The target of at least three photographs remains unmet. Dead or preserved specimens, drawings and uncertain identifications were excluded.
Aquarium Suitability
Wildlife education only. This marine elasmobranch is outside home-aquarium stocking and care guidance. Wild range and diet are not a captive operating protocol; this profile does not infer tank dimensions, water settings, acquisition advice or an institutional welfare plan.
Evidence Gaps
Evidence gaps include: Age, longevity, reproductive periodicity and population structure remain poorly known; Old catalogue oviparous wording conflicts with its own litter/birth data and modern specialist treatment; do not present it as egg-laying.
A living record
Natural history, taxonomy and global conservation categories checked against the linked sources. Habitat measurements are not captive care settings. Each photograph has separate identity, living-status and rights evidence. Public content last reviewed October 17, 2026.
- FAO historical species catalogue ↗Reference source
- IUCN specialist group deepwater synthesis ↗Reference source
- Original 2025 trawl synthesis ↗Reference source
- IUCN global assessment ↗Reference source
- Shark-References — species and taxonomic synonyms ↗Reference source