Shark
Brown Shyshark
Haploblepharus fuscus
A small, plain-brown catshark endemic to South Africa's coast that curls up covering its eyes when handled.
Also known as brown shy shark, plain happy, shy(brown)
- Typical size
- Commonly up to about 70 cm
- Habitat
- Shallow rocky reef and kelp
- Depth
- Shallows to about 35 m
The brown shyshark is a small, slender-bodied catshark endemic to the South African coast, found mainly along the southern and Eastern Cape into KwaZulu-Natal. It is a fairly uniform reddish-brown above with a pale belly, lacking the bold saddle markings of some of its relatives, and it rarely exceeds around 70 cm. It lives on shallow rocky reefs and in kelp, feeding on small bony fish, crustaceans and molluscs.
It gets its name from the habit shy sharks share of curling into a ring and covering their eyes with the tail when caught or handled. It is completely harmless to divers and of no danger to people. As a range-restricted endemic it deserves careful, gentle release if caught.