Swim with humpback whales in Moʻorea, September 2027 · from CHF 4,500See the trip →
Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Animals

Sharks

Atlantic weasel shark

Paragaleus pectoralis

A slim, little-known shark of the West African shelf. Few visitors will ever meet one, and no sighting is a promise.

EndangeredIn 18 Atlas countries

Endangered (IUCN, 2020) means it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild. Fishing is the main threat, and catches are neither counted nor managed.

Length

Up to about 1.4 m (4.6 ft); the largest recorded is 138 to 140 cm (4.5 to 4.6 ft). Newborns are about 47 cm (19 in)

Weight

Up to about 7.2 kg (16 lb) in FishBase; another source gives 11 kg (24 lb) for the largest specimen

Next to a person

A little shorter than an adult is tall, and much lighter than a person

What it eats

A specialist that prefers cephalopods, mainly squid and octopus. It also takes small bony fish such as soles and sardines.

Around people

Calm, give space

How it lives

The Atlantic weasel shark gives birth to live young, with a yolk-sac placenta. Litters are 1 to 4 pups of about 47 cm. Mating is reported from March to May and births from May to June. Males mature at about 80 cm, and females at about 75 to 90 cm. The sources I opened do not give its lifespan.

Where it goes

The Atlantic weasel shark lives over the continental shelf of the eastern Atlantic, from inshore water to about 100 m, usually at 30 to 70 m. In Sal Rei Bay on Boa Vista, Cabo Verde, 93 newborns and juveniles were recorded over three years, in shallow, sheltered water shared with other shark species. Numbers peaked in summer and autumn. Little else is known about its movements.

We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.

Populations

The IUCN assessed the Atlantic weasel shark as Endangered in 2020, under criterion A2bd, which is based on a population decline. It is a common catch of small commercial fisheries, taken on longlines, hooks, gillnets and trawls. Catch levels are not quantified or monitored, and there are no conservation measures aimed at it. I did not find a population estimate. In Sal Rei Bay, 93 young sharks measuring 43 to 98 cm were recorded in 2016 to 2019, most 50 to 60 cm long.

Meet it respectfully

Sal Rei Bay is a nursery, so keep it quiet. Do not net, hook, handle or lift young sharks, and keep boats and swimmers from crowding the shallows. If a shark appears, watch from a distance and let it leave. I did not read any local rules for the bay, so follow what your guide tells you.

Fun fact

Tap the bulb to light it up.

Where you may meet it

Atlantic weasel shark in the Ocean Atlas

Places we have researched where this animal is recorded. It is never guaranteed, and some places are for watching from the boat only.

FijiTanzaniaW. SaharaUnited States of AmericaUzbekistanArgentinaChileDem. Rep. CongoSomaliaKenyaSudanChadHaitiDominican Rep.BahamasSouth AfricaLesothoMexicoUruguayBrazilBoliviaPeruColombiaPanamaCosta RicaNicaraguaHondurasEl SalvadorGuatemalaBelizeVenezuelaGuyanaSurinameFranceEcuadorPuerto RicoJamaicaCubaZimbabweBotswanaNamibiaSenegalMaliMauritaniaBeninNigerNigeriaCameroonTogoGhanaCôte d'IvoireGuineaGuinea-BissauLiberiaSierra LeoneBurkina FasoCentral African Rep.CongoGabonEq. GuineaZambiaMalawiMozambiqueeSwatiniAngolaBurundiIsraelLebanonMadagascarPalestineGambiaTunisiaAlgeriaJordanUnited Arab EmiratesQatarKuwaitIraqOmanIndiaNepalPakistanAfghanistanTajikistanKyrgyzstanTurkmenistanIranSyriaArmeniaGreeceTurkeyAlbaniaPortugalSpainChinaItalyAzerbaijanEritreaParaguayYemenSaudi ArabiaN. CyprusCyprusMoroccoEgyptLibyaEthiopiaDjiboutiSomalilandUgandaRwandaTrinidad and TobagoS. SudanSal, Cabo VerdeBoa Vista, Cabo VerdeLagos coast and Lekki, NigeriaBadagry coast, NigeriaMayumba National Park, GabonLoango National Park, GabonAda Foah and the Volta estuary, GhanaMuni-Pomadze, GhanaGrand Kru coast, LiberiaLittle Bassa and Rivercess, LiberiaGrand-Béréby, Côte d'IvoireTurtle Islands and Sherbro Island, Sierra LeoneFreetown peninsula, Sierra LeoneKribi and Ebodje coast, CameroonDouala-Edea coast, CameroonSaloum Delta, SenegalTristao Islands, GuineaConkouati-Douli National Park, Republic of the CongoPointe-Noire coast, Republic of the CongoOrango Grande and Orango National Park, Guinea-BissauPoilao Island, Guinea-BissauSouthern Bioko beaches, Equatorial GuineaBanc d'Arguin National Park, MauritaniaNouadhibou and Cap Blanc, MauritaniaIona National Park coast, AngolaKissama National Park coast, AngolaMuanda and the Mangroves Marine Park, Democratic Republic of the CongoLomé to Aného coast, TogoBouche du Roy and Grand-Popo, Benin

Travel with usComing soonTrusted referralExploringOn pause, story onlyEthics pass

Country colour: pink where we travel, blue where we are exploring or refer, grey for story only.

AngolaBeninCabo VerdeCameroonCôte d'IvoireDemocratic Republic of the CongoEquatorial GuineaGabonGhanaGuineaGuinea-BissauLiberiaMauritaniaNigeriaRepublic of the CongoSenegalSierra LeoneTogo
Sources for this page

Facts checked 5 October 2026. Photos: Unsplash licence, or Creative Commons as shown on each photo.

For partners

Work in ocean travel?

We are always happy to hear from exceptional local operators, accommodation, conservation organisations and destination experts. If your work fits responsible, small-group ocean travel, we would love to learn more.

Partner with Ocean Calling
You might like

5-day freediving course in Bali

CHF 1,180

See the trip →