Pondicherry Shark Critically Endangered

Mention a shark, and many of us think of a large creature tearing through the seas, baring serrated teeth. But there are sharks whose size may surprise you, like the critically endangered Pondicherry shark. Benita Sen finds out more about it.

- Benita Sen

A creature barely a metre or a little over three feet in length is fighting a tough battle. We are referring to the Pondicherry shark, a rather small shark in comparison to the heavyweights in the family. Certainly, much smaller than the whale shark, the largest of all sharks, which can touch anything up to 60 feet or 18 metres and is often seen touching 46 feet or about 14 metres, the Pondicherry shark has a pointed snout. Just in case you are looking agape at the difference, may we remind you that it is most definitely not the smallest in the family, either. The honours for the tiniest shark known go to the dwarf lantern shark that is barely six inches long and can fit into many an adult’s palms.

Hey, Who’s that?

The first scientific mention of the Pondicherry shark, also called the long-nosed shark, was in 1839 by Johannes Müller and Jakob Henle, two German biologists, who studied and described a young male from Pondicherry, now called Puducherry, in south-eastern India. They even added a sketch of the Pondicherry shark. In 1988, Compagno put it in a group with other sharks, such as the creek whaler, white cheek shark, small tail shark, and the Borneo shark, all requiem sharks (see, fact box). Gray on the back and with a white belly, it has a pale stripe along its flanks. The Pondicherry shark has large, round eyes that have nictitating membranes or haw, a thin eyelid that is translucent and can be pulled across the eye like a third eyelid to protect the eye without blocking out all vision. The eyes, if you ask me, look rather anxious, almost as if it is trying to focus on the waters ahead that may, in fact, be a dead-end for the little creature. Its first dorsal fin has a freer rear end while the pectoral fins end in black tips. It has five pairs of gill slits that are typically quite long.