Sliteye Shark:
For the first time, scientists have recorded the sliteye shark in the Great Chagos Bank in the Indian Ocean, the world’s largest coral atoll.
- Sliteye Shark is a small-bodied shark species found in inshore waters throughout the Indo-West Pacific.
- It is a species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae, and the only member of its genus, Loxodon.
- Scientific Name: Loxodon macrorhinus
- Named for its distinctive, slit-like eyes—thought to enhance vision in low-light conditions—the sliteye shark is well adapted to deeper, dimly lit environments as well as clear and shallow waters.
- Widespread in tropical waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans between 34°N and 30°S off the coasts of Australia, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Taiwan, Tanzania, and Yemen.
- It is a small shark with a very slender body, a long narrow face, large eyes, and short furrows at the corners of the mouth.
- It can reach a length of about 95 cm.
- The teeth are small, with a protruding tip and smooth edges.
- The ridge between the dorsal fins is absent or rudimentary.
- The coloration of the Sliteye shark is gray, the belly is white, and the edges of the fins are pale (transparent when alive).
- The caudal and first dorsal fins have dark edges.
- Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Near Threatened.
