Pondicherry Shark

The Pondicherry shark has a robust build and a moderately long, pointed snout. The large and circular eyes are equipped with nictitating membranes. Each nostril is broad with a small, narrow nipple-shaped lobe on the anterior rim. The arched mouth lacks conspicuous furrows or enlarged pores at the corners. The upper and lower jaws contain 14–15 and 12–14 tooth rows on either side respectively; in addition, there are one or two rows of small teeth at the upper and lower symphyses (jaw midpoints). The upper teeth have a single narrow, smooth-edged central cusp, flanked on both sides by very large serrations. The lower teeth are narrower and more upright than the uppers, and may be smooth to finely serrated. The five pairs of gill slits are fairly long. Originating below the fourth pair of gill slits, the pectoral fins are short, broad, and falcate (sickle-shaped) with pointed tips. The first dorsal fin is tall and falcate with a distinctively long free rear tip, and is positioned just behind the pectoral fin bases. The second dorsal fin is large and tall without a notably elongated free rear tip, and is positioned over or slightly behind the anal fin. Usually there is no midline ridge between the dorsal fins, and when present the ridge is slight. The caudal peduncle has a deep crescent-shaped notch at the upper caudal fin origin. …

The Pondicherry shark appears to have been broadly distributed in the Indo-Pacific. It may have once been common, as it was reportedly a regular catch off India and Pakistan, but is now extremely rare. Most of the known specimens were collected from India, with more specimens from the Gulf of Oman, Borneo, and Java. There are also less reliable records from the South China Sea, other parts of Southeast Asia such as Vietnam and the Philippines, New Guinea, and northern Australia. This species inhabits inshore waters. Several older sources reported that it could be found in rivers such as the Hooghli River and the Saigon River. These reports may have confused a river shark (Glyphis sp.) for the Pondicherry shark; if accurate, they would suggest this species to be tolerant of low salinity.

The diet of the Pondicherry shark is thought to consist of small bony fishes, cephalopods, and crustaceans. A parasite documented from this species is the tapeworm Acanthobothrium paramanandai. Like other requiem sharks, it is viviparous with the developing embryos sustained to term via a placental connection to the mother, though specific details are unknown. The smallest known specimen is a female 32 cm (13 in) long, which may be close to the birth size. Sexual maturity is attained at a length of over 60 cm (24 in).