Haploblepharus pictus
In 3 days >90%
The dark shyshark or pretty happy (Haploblepharus pictus) is a species of shark belonging to the family Pentanchidae, the deepwater catsharks. This species is endemic to the temperate waters off southern Namibia and western South Africa. It is benthic in nature and inhabits shallow, inshore waters and favors rocky reefs and kelp forests. Growing to 60 cm (24 in) long, this small, stocky shark has a wide, flattened head with a rounded snout and a large flap of skin extending from before the nostrils to the mouth. Its dorsal coloration is extremely variable and may feature black-edged orange to blackish saddles and/or white spots on a light brown to nearly black background.
When threatened, the dark shyshark curls into a ring with its tail covering its eyes, hence the name "shyshark". It preys mainly on small crustaceans, bony fishes, and molluscs. Reproduction is oviparous and proceeds throughout the year. Females lay two egg cases at a time, which hatch after 6–10 months. This harmless species is of little commercial significance due to its small size. It is frequently caught by recreational fishers and persecuted as a pest. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the dark shyshark under Least Concern, as it is common and does not appear to be substantially threatened by fishing or habitat degradation. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Coast National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Two Oceans Aquarium | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | National Marine Aquarium of Namibia | 🇳🇦 Namibia |
No species of the same family or order lives in West Coast National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other sharks & rays.
Very likely
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Dark Shyshark sighting in West Coast National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dark Shyshark sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only West Coast National Park, in our data
West Coast National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Dark Shyshark sightings: about 80% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Dark Shyshark is recorded against all the sharks and rays logged in West Coast National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
