IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened

-The puffadder shark is sandy colored, with seven red-brown saddle markings on its back, and spotted

-This South African species was previously thought to range along most of South Africa’s coastline, but a recent assessment indicated that it’s range is actually much smaller, and located in heavily fished and polluted waters

-This species’ habitat selection is very site specific, found in inshore waters located in kelp forests, reefs, and sandy bottom habitats

-Feeds on crustaceans, cephalopods, and bony fishes

-The puffadder is oviparous, laying 2 eggs at a time, with no clearly defined breeding season

-Size of reproductive maturity ranges from ~1 ft (325 mm) to ~1.5 ft (450 mm)

-The puffadder lives to 22 years

-This species is displayed in aquaria

-The main threat to this species is capture on recreational fishing gear, in which it is caught as bycatch