New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

🌊 Marine Endangered 🍽️ Edible 🌡️ Tropical

Atlantic weasel shark

Paragaleus pectoralis Garman, 1906
Max Length
140 cm
Max Weight
7.2 kg
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
4.3
Depth
-
Climate
Tropical
Resilience
Very low
Vulnerability
63.00/100
Typical Length
100 cm
Depth Zone
demersal

📖 Overview

A very common inshore to offshore shark of the continental shelf occurring at depths of a few meters to slightly over 100 m . A specialist feeder that prefers cephalopods, also feeds on small bony fishes . Viviparous . Utilized fresh and dried salted for human consumption, and processed into fishmeal .

Scientific Name
Paragaleus pectoralis
Authority
Garman, 1906
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Tropical
Body Shape
Elongated
IUCN Status
EN
Max Length
140 cm
Max Weight
7.2 kg
Trophic Level
4.3
Resilience
Very low
Vulnerability
63.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. A slender weasel shark with a moderately long snout, large eyes, and a short, small mouth with small, serrated upper teeth and erect-cusped lower teeth . Light grey or bronze with longitudinal yellow stripes, fins plain; white below .: elongated.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Atlantic weasel shark is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Atlantic weasel shark is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

🐣 Viviparous 🤰 Viviparous
Size at Maturity
82.5cm TL

Viviparous (with a yolk-sac placenta), with 1 to 4 young per litter. Size at birth about 47 cm . Distinct pairing with embrace .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; demersal; depth range ? - 100 m , usually 30 - 70 m . Tropical; 30°N - north to Morocco.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine ⬇️ Benthic
Trophic Level
4.3±0.64
Food Items

small bony fishes (Ref

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00269 × L3.07 (TL)
Max TL
140cm
Max Weight
7,200g

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Endangered
Assessment Date
2020

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Very low
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
63.00/100
High vulnerability
Trophic Level
4.3
Apex / Top predator
Body Shape
Elongated
Climate Zone
Tropical
Described By
Garman, 1906

🍽️ Edibility & Flavour

"Atlantic weasel shark is an edible species."

✗ Not for Raw
✓ Fresh Indicators
  • Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
  • Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
  • Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
  • Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
  • Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
✗ Avoid If
  • Cloudy or sunken eyes
  • Strong fishy or ammonia odour
  • Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
  • Discoloured or dry flesh
Best Cooking Methods
Baking Grilling Pan-frying

Nutrition

Detailed nutritional data for Atlantic weasel shark is currently being compiled from USDA FoodData Central.

🔬 Mercury Safety

Mercury data for Atlantic weasel shark has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.

🌿 Sustainability

Best Choice
Healthy stocks, low impact
Good Alternative
Well-managed, minor concerns
Use Caution
Check sourcing and season
Avoid
Overfished or high impact

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English Atlantic weasel shark · Little Tiger Shark
🌍CES velkookatec žlutoskvrnný
🇩🇪German Atlantischer Wieselhai
🇫🇮Finnish atlantinkärppähai
🇫🇷French Milandre Jaune
🇮🇹Italian Squalo donnola atlantico
🇷🇺Russian Атлантическая полосатая акула · Жёлтополосая акула
🇪🇸Spanish Tiburón Comadiza

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Hemigaleus pectoralis Garman 1906 Synonym
Paragaleus gruveli Budker 1935 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 668 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Atlantic weasel shark ↗
Suggest an Edit

Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.

Link to a scientific paper, FishBase, or other authoritative source
Report an Issue

Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.