Hemipristis shark is a genus of weasel sharks in the family Hemigaleidae, which has lived from the middle of the Eocene epoch, about 40 million years ago, to the present. The modern species, Hemipristis elongata, can reach lengths of up to 2.4 meters, but Hemipristis serra, the gigantic species that lived in the Miocene epoch could reach up to 6 meters in length.
The shark Hemipristis elongata feeds on fish, cephalopods and other sharks, while Hemipristis serra, the extinct species, fed on manatees and possibly juveniles of the giant shark Megalodon , which lived at the same time and shared its habitat. The shark Hemipristis elongata is famous for its serrated teeth, and those of the extinct species, Hemipristis serra, are highly sought after by collectors for their pronounced serrations and vivid colors.
