The African black shark is a small deep-sea shark with light organs on its body. It lives in the dark waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa and hunts small animals.
The African black shark differs from other sharks by its small size and ability to glow. It is important for nature because it helps control the population of small animals at depth.
Locomotion through water employed while searching for or capturing prey.
Legendary longevity: over 100 years. Galapagos tortoises, Greenland sharks, ocean quahogs celebrate with family once every 4 years
Photophores color
Offspring
Worker
Elders
Bro
birth time
Pelagic Ocean
ambush
Conceals itself to ambush or approach prey undetected.
Taxons
carnivore
if born as {name}
pursuit
Dogs, dolphins, lynx hang out for 9-25 years and party on their birthday three times a year
m
Map
will celebrate their {n} birthday
bioluminescence
Actively chases and captures mobile prey in open space.
g
age
t
When your next jubilee falls in {name} life years
Predator remains still and concealed before launching a sudden attack.
Human
birth date
swimming
no permanent shelter
Close
water column
was
days
Career from 7 to 15 months. Dwarf hamsters, voles, field crickets celebrate their birthday twice a month
Marine world
The basics
How old you would be if you lived as {name}
crustaceans
Theoretical maximum lifespan estimated from the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) mathematical model. This value reflects a biological potential derived from metabolic parameters, not from direct observation — real recorded lifespans are often significantly shorter.
My weight?
small planktonic crustaceans — copepods, krill
Non-stop carnival: they only live a few days. Mayflies, rotifers, midges celebrate their birthday more than twice a day
adult
Maturity
fish of small size
primary food sources
Potential Habitat
About health
marine coastal
When your next birthday would fall if you lived as {name}
d
In husbandry
Feeds while suspended in open water between surface and bottom.
On the go from 1.3 to 3.5 years. Forest mice, anoles, rainbow fish party on their birthday once a month
Feeding occurs in water bodies such as rivers, lakes, or oceans.
ocean floor
Repro interval
results
Mass
Mosquitoes, fruit flies, small crustaceans hustle for up to 7 months and throw a birthday party every week
Body size
aquatic
Colors
vision
Sex
{name} birthday
Upcoming jubilees
Gremllins
mo
No results found
all seas and oceans
Trophic type
Filters
small fish
On the map
lunge
Female ♀
all life stages
Upcoming birthdays
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
Potential habitat modelled from GBIF occurrence data. Map © Zveriki.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Truly long lives: 40-100 years. Bowhead whales, albatrosses, giant tortoises recall their birthday at most once a year
Lifespan
birth year
Maturity
Age (from birth to death)
sq mm
yr
Wanderers
fins
How similar?
far from shore, deep water, large whales and sharks live here
Jubilee = every 10th birthday
Male ♂
until the celebration
baby / chick
age as {name}
How do they breed?
On the go from 3.5 to 6 years. Hedgehogs, crows, lizards treat themselves to birthday snacks 6 times a year
What if eaten?
Neither
Earliest developmental stage inside an egg or womb.
Business sausages
Young offspring still dependent on parental care.
squids
Lifespan average
What do they eat?
water is almost always cold, there may be ice in winter, not hot in summer
Where do they live?
Rapidly swallows prey or food items whole without chewing.
Marine world
Regeneration
bioluminescence
What do they look like?
Maturity
emergence (insects)
world of Afrotropics
end of lifespan
River estuary into the sea
How do they live?
fertilization / egg laying
How do they behave?
birth / hatching
metamorphosis / end of larval stage
end of acceleration
Share
Duration
Find a pet...
Mature, fully developed individual capable of reproduction.
Cold sea
gulping
saline marine habitat
This is me
Actively hunting and capturing live prey.
Gamers
where the river flows into the sea, slightly salty water, lots of fish and birds
65 to 130 grams, 25 – 60 centimeters
Teeth count
Pets
How are they built?
marine
shallow near the shore, water rises and falls, crabs live here
Indomalayan realm
mm
Theoretical lifespan
ml
Stars
Link copied
coastal marine zone — shelf, neritic zone
My age?
wk
My size?
whole swallow
{name} jubilee
Asexual
swap
cm
Old-timers
Find an animal or breed...
Southeast Asia and islands, always hot and humid
active predation
camouflage
turns
Rabbits, falcons, red-eared turtles hang out for 6-9 years and party on their birthday four times a year
Rascals
Where do they take shelter?
celebrated their {n} birthday
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
When you would have been born if you lived as {name}
live squids
Littoral Zone
Litter size
Daddies
Lifespan maximum
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
How to care for them?
Living from 25 to 40 years. Orangutans, bald eagles, African elephants celebrate their birthday twice a year
°C
Not specified
Hermaphrodite ⚥
Where are they found?
all seas and oceans
Primarily detects and locates food using eyesight.
Species lacks any fixed or lasting shelter structure.
embryo
Carrot
Length
kg
Rapid forward strike to seize prey.
Observations
◉{N} more on tap