Haploblepharus kistnasamyi Human & Compagno, 2006
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Natal shyshark, eastern shyshark or happy chappie (Haploblepharus kistnasamyi) is a species of shark belonging to the family Pentanchidae, the deepwater catsharks. It was once regarded as the "Natal" form of the puffadder shyshark (H. edwardsii). This shark is endemic to a small area off South Africa from the Western Cape to KwaZulu-Natal. It is found close to the coast, from the surf zone to a depth of 30 m (98 ft), and has benthic habits. Reaching 50 cm (20 in) in length, the Natal shyshark is similar to the puffadder shyshark in appearance but has a stockier body, less flattened head, a compressed caudal peduncle, and a different color pattern. Rare and under threat from habitat degradation and commercial fishing, it has been assessed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Wikipedia contributors, Natal shyshark; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T22:43:00.982563+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Haploblepharus kistnasamyi Human & Compagno, 2006
- Name authority
- Human & Compagno, 2006
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Elasmobranchii
- Order
- Carcharhiniformes
- Family
- Scyliorhinidae
- Genus
- Haploblepharus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumChondrichthyes
- classElasmobranchii
- subclassNeoselachii
- infraclassSelachii
- superorderGaleomorphi
- orderCarcharhiniformes
- familyScyliorhinidae Gill, 1862
- genusHaploblepharus Garman, 1913
- speciesHaploblepharus kistnasamyi Human & Compagno, 2006
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Haploblepharus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Haploblepharus edwardsii (Schinz, 1822) | ScyliorhinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Haploblepharus fuscus Smith, 1950 | ScyliorhinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Haploblepharus pictus (Müller & Henle, 1838) | ScyliorhinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Human, B. A., & Compagno, L. J. (2006). Description of Haploblepharus kistnasamyi, a new catshark (Chondrichthyes: Scyliorhinidae) from South Africa. Zootaxa, 1318, 41–58. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1318.1.2 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3JL88. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.