Pygmy shark

{{Short description|Species of shark}}

{{Speciesbox

| name = Pygmy shark

| image = Euprotomicrus bispinatus (Pygmy shark).gif

| image_caption = Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Burgess, G.H. |date=2015 |title=Euprotomicrus bispinatus |volume=2015 |page=e.T60210A3093076 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T60210A3093076.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}

| genus = Euprotomicrus

| parent_authority = T. N. Gill, 1865

| species = bispinatus

| range_map = Euprotomicrus bispinatus distmap.png

| range_map_caption = Range of pygmy shark (in blue)

| authority = (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)

}}

{{Portal|Sharks}}

The pygmy shark (Euprotomicrus bispinatus), the second-smallest of all the shark species after the dwarf lanternshark, is a squaliform shark of the family Dalatiidae, the only member of the genus Euprotomicrus.{{Cite book|title=The fishes of New Zealand|last=Roberts|first=Clive|last2=Stewart|first2=A. L.|last3=Struthers|first3=Carl D.|last4=Barker|first4=Jeremy|last5=Kortet|first5=Salme|last6=Freeborn|first6=Michelle|publisher=Te Papa Press|year=2015|isbn=9780994104168|location=Wellington, New Zealand|pages=164|oclc=908128805}} Their lengths are up to about 25 cm (10 in) for females and about 22 cm (8.7 in) for males.{{Cite web|url=http://species-identification.org/species.php?species_group=sharks&id=199|title=Pygmy shark (Euprotomicrus bispinatus)|last=Compagno|first=L.J.V.|website=species-identification.org|access-date=20 January 2019}}

Pygmy sharks are ovoviviparous and produce about eight young in each litter.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fishbase.de/summary/Euprotomicrus-bispinatus.html|title=Euprotomicrus bispinatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) Pygmy shark|last=Carpenter|first=Kent E.|last2=Valdestamon|first2=Roxanne Rei|date=2019|website=Fishbase|access-date=20 January 2019}}