Pyjama Shark Facts & Worksheets

The pyjama shark (Poroderma africanum), also known as the striped catshark named because of its distinctive appearance of longitudinal stripes, looks to be wearing striped pajamas. It belongs to the Scyliorhinidae family and is endemic to the coastal waters of South Africa. They are primarily nocturnal, hunting at night and spending the daytime sleeping in rocky crevices and caves.

See the fact file below for more information on the Pyjama Shark, or you can download our 29-page Pyjama Shark worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

TAXONOMY

• The Selachimorpha superorder, which includes the pyjama shark, consists of all shark species. The pyjama shark is part of the largest order of sharks, Carcharhiniformes. 
• Naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin first identified the pyjama shark as Squalus africanus in 1789. Later, this term was modified to Poroderma africanum, its recognized scientific name. Poroderma is a genus name that means “skin with pores,” while the species name africanum means “from Africa.”

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES AND ANATOMY

• The pyjama shark has a greyish color. Its body is covered in alternating distinctive black and grey stripes from nose to tail tip.
• Their length can reach roughly a meter, and they can weigh as much as 8 kg (which is a bit heavier and longer than a household cat).
• Pyjama sharks have 18–25 and 14–24 tooth rows on either side of the upper and lower jaws, respectively. Even when their mouth is closed, their upper teeth remain visible.
• It features prominent but short nasal barbels and two dorsal fins (the second one is significantly smaller) situated far back on its body.
• The head and snout of a pyjama shark are small and slightly flattened, and a flap of skin in front divides each nostril into small incurrent and excurrent openings. Its eyes are horizontally oval and elevated on the head, with nictitating membranes and a broad ridge running beneath.
• Their skin is quite thick and is made up of dermal denticles that are well-calcified.
• Although they resemble adults, young pyjama sharks can have significantly lighter or significantly darker stripes.

REPRODUCTION

• Pyjama sharks have no mating season and can mate anytime there is a substantial amount of food available.
• Male and female pyjama sharks begin sexual maturation at 78-81 cm (31-32 in) and 79-83 cm (31-33 in), all sharks reach adulthood at 89 cm (35 in). Adult female pyjama sharks have one functioning ovary and two functional oviducts, each with one egg developing at a time.
• They are oviparous, meaning that female sharks lay eggs. They lay rectangular, yellowish-green egg cases about one by 4 inches (3 by 10 cm) in size and are fastened to the kelp by long, stringy tendrils at each corner. 
• These egg casings feature a characteristic purse-like form known as a mermaid’s purse.
• It takes five months or more for eggs to hatch, producing pups only 15 cm long. They grow to mature sizes of 35 inches and larger throughout their lives.

HABITAT

• The pyjama shark is endemic to the southern African coasts, from Saldanha Bay to East London on the South Coast, through False Bay, and along the West Coast. 
• It is most commonly seen by shore-based night divers hiding among Ecklonia kelp beds to reach deeper water and caves.
• The pyjama shark is often found in relatively shallow intertidal and littoral waters that are no deeper than 5 m (16 ft), but in and around Algoa Bay, it may be found at depths of up to 100 m (160 ft) and has been known to reach 108 m (354 ft).
• It is prevalent in the seas off South Africa’s Cape Province, particularly in the Southern Cape.

FEEDING HABITS AND PREDATORS

• Pyjama sharks typically feed on crustaceans (such as crabs) on rocky reefs. They prey on a wide range of tiny creatures in the sea, such as bivalves, cephalopods, and polychaete worms, as well as bony fish like hakes, gurnards, anchovies, hagfish, smaller sharks and rays, and their egg casings.
• It is an opportunistic eater, consuming whatever prey is available.
• Their flat, cusped teeth are ideal for gripping slippery prey, like octopuses and squid, and crushing the hard shells and exoskeletons of prey such as West Coast rock lobsters that are a favorite of pyjama sharks on the coast of False Bay.
• Ambushing their prey is among the most fascinating feeding behaviors of pyjama sharks. This is most common with a kind of squid found in South African seas. The sharks wait in the egg beds on the ocean floor for the female squids to come and lay eggs. 
• The pyjama shark’s beautiful stripes separate its form into unidentifiable shapes. This camouflage allows the sharks to hide within Chokka Squid egg threads and to attack the preoccupied squids from a short distance. Tentacles from squid and octopus have been reported to be twisted off by pyjama sharks.
• They have also been seen scavenging on fish offal (animal entrails and internal organs used as food).
• Larger predators in the same seas eat pyjama sharks. The Broadnose Sevengill Shark is one of its main predators. 
• When they are threatened, the shark will coil within itself to protect its head.
• Other sea creatures eat the eggs of pyjama sharks. Some sea snails, or whelks, puncture the egg’s shell and consume the yolk within.

BEHAVIOR

• Even though they are nocturnal, they have sometimes been seen being active during the daytime. They spend most of the day sleeping and concealed in a cave, a fissure, or amid plants like kelp forests. 
• They frequently form groups, especially in the summer.
• They are a type of slow swimmer. Due to its tiny size, preference for particular habitats, and feeding habits, the pyjama shark is considered harmless to humans.

THREATS

• Overfishing is a significant threat to pyjama sharks. They are also occasionally hunted for aquarium and commercial trade.
• Large numbers of pyjama sharks are being captured incidentally by commercial fishing with the use of longlines, fishing nets, bottom trawls, and beach seines; they are also easily hooked by recreational fishermen, especially during the summer months when they aggregate. Although edible, the majority are discarded, while others are utilized as lobster bait.
• Many fishermen see smaller sharks, such as pyjama sharks, as pests that steal bait, waste their effort when captured as bycatch, and many of these fishermen kill these sharks without mercy rather than releasing them. 

CONSERVATION

• Due to its limited geographic range and a recent rise in fishing pressure on small sharks in the area, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has placed the pyjama shark as Lower Risk/Near Threatened.
• There are no current conservation strategies enforced. The leopard and pyjama sharks, however, should be decommercialized, according to the South African Sea Fisheries Research Institute.

Pyjama Shark Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Pyjama Shark across 29 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Pyjama Shark, also known as the striped catshark named because of its distinctive appearance of longitudinal stripes, which looks to be wearing striped pajamas.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

• Pyjama Shark Facts 
• Spot the Pyjama Shark!
• From Head to Tail
• What’s for Dinner?
• Sharky Facts
• At Home in Africa
• Mama and Pup
• Tell Me How You Feel
• Tricky Shark
• Save the Pyjama
• Here to Say

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Pyjama shark?

The Pyjama shark (Poroderma africanum) is a species of catshark found in the southwestern Indian Ocean and southern Africa. It is also known as the striped catshark or the pajama shark.

What does a Pyjama shark look like?

The Pyjama shark has a distinct coloration, with a brown or gray back and white underside, with a series of dark vertical stripes on its body. They are small sharks and can grow up to 1m in length.

What is the habitat of the Pyjama shark?

Pyjama sharks are found in the southwestern Indian Ocean and southern Africa along the coast, in rocky and sandy habitats, in depths between 2 and 150m. They are often found in tide pools and reef systems.

What do Pyjama sharks eat?

Pyjama sharks are nocturnal predators that feed mainly on small bony fish and invertebrates such as crustaceans and squid.

Are Pyjama sharks endangered?

The Pyjama shark is currently considered a “near threatened” species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to overfishing and habitat loss. However, their populations are still quite stable and not in immediate danger of extinction.

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