Snaggletooth shark
| Snaggletooth shark | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Division: | Selachii |
| Order: | Carcharhiniformes |
| Family: | Hemigaleidae |
| Genus: | Hemipristis |
| Species: | H. elongata |
| Binomial name | |
| Hemipristis elongata (Klunzinger, 1871) | |
| Range of the snaggletooth shark | |
The snaggletooth shark, or fossil shark (Hemipristis elongata), is a species of weasel shark in the family Hemigaleidae, and the only extant member of the genus Hemipristis. It is found in the Indo-West Pacific, including the Red Sea, from southeast Africa to the Philippines, north to China, and south to Australia, at depths from 1 to 130 meters. This shark can be found near the bottom of the water column of coastal areas, but can be found at continental and insular shelves. Its length is up to 240 cm (7.87 ft) . Despite being only vulnerable to extinction, this shark is very rarely seen.