Blind Shark - Biology and Ecology

Biology and Ecology

Contrary to its common name, the blind shark has "perfectly adequate" vision. It was so named by anglers because it retracts its eyeballs and shuts its thick lower eyelids when removed from the water. This species can live for up to 18 hours out of water, allowing it to survive being stranded by the outgoing tide. The blind shark is secretive and sluggish during the day, with adults usually hiding in caves or under ledges and juveniles inside crevices, though it will take food given the opportunity. At night, it moves out over reefs and seagrass meadows to forage for small invertebrates (including crabs, shrimp, cephalopods, and sea anemones) and bony fishes. Prey items are captured via suction.

The blind shark is aplacental viviparous with a possibly annual reproductive cycle. Females give birth to 7–8 pups during the summer; newborns measure 15–18 cm (5.9–7.1 in) long. Sexual maturity is attained at under a length of 62 cm (24 in) for males, and 66 cm (26 in) for females. It has lived to 20 years old in captivity. A known parasite of this shark is an undescribed species of tapeworm in the genus Carpobothrium.