South Africa's Brown Shyshark Information And Photos
Information & Photographs Of The Brown Shyshark (Haploblepharus fuscus)
The Brown Shyshark is part of the
South African Catshark family. It is quite a common
saltwater fish
species in the Eastern Cape and occurs in deep reefs up to 3 meters under the
water. Brown Shy Sharks lie on the rocky reefs where they rest. The
Brown Shyshark is quite
active at night but can be caught throughout the day. They feed on
crabs, cuttlefish and bait fish. Their name is derived from the habit this
fish has of twisting into a circle and covering its eyes with its tail
when threatened. Often when anglers land the Brown Shyshark they will
perform this act. The Brown Shyshark can attain 70cm. The Brown Shyshark
will often pick up baits meant for fish such as Kob, White Steenbras,
Musselcracker and other edibles. They will also peck away at big shark
baits and can occasionally be hooked on shark baits.
Catching The Brown Shyshark In South Africa
When
targeting the Brown Shyshark the
best
baits to use are fishy baits such as mackerel, sardine and mullet.
Chokka, prawns and mussels also work very well when targeting the Brown
Shyshark. Light Tackle should be used when specifically targeting the
Brown Shyshark but tackle should have enough back bone to land the fish
and not get cut off on the rocky areas where they live... Normally
anglers will not specifically target the Brown Shyshark so "scratching"
tackle is ideal to catch this species. The perfect combination would be
a Shimano Torium 30, paired with a Blue Marlin G3 or Kingfisher
Stimulator... Alternatively a coffee grinder such as a Daiwa Saltiga
Surf 5500 or Daiwa Opus 6000 is perfect. Hook sizes for the brown
Shyshark will be from size 1 to a 6/0, and a minimum of 20 pound
mainline should be used. Steel trace or wire is not required for
catching the Brown Shyshark and a 0.40 millimeter fluorocarbon leader
should be used. The Brown Shy Shark is very common off the coast of the
Eastern Cape and can be caught regularly at rocky points, gullies and
general rocky areas.
Handling And Releasing The South African Brown Shyshark
When
handling the Brown Shyshark you do not need to be worried about getting
bitten... They are very placid sharks and won't try to bite you, and
even if they do manage to bite you you will only have a few small teeth
marks. They are a very muscular fish and will try squirm their way out
of your hands when you are posing for a photographs. Pleases remember
the beautiful and "cute" Brown Shyshark play an important role in the
ecosystem so once you have landed them and taken a photo please release
them safely back into the water, even if they are being a pest by taking
your baits... You are fishing and you are catching fish even if the
Shyshark is not your target species... Unfortunately many anglers leave
these beautiful creatures to die on the beach or they just kill them and
throw them back. Please make a difference and ensure a safe release of
this fish back into the water.
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