Eight year old Hayden caught a Port Jackson Shark

Eight year old Hayden caught a Port Jackson Shark
Yes, it was almost as big as himself! Port Jackson Sharks grows to 1.65 m in length. More commonly, males grow to 75 cm and females between 80 cm and 95 cm, about the size Hayden caught.
The Port Jackson Shark occurs in southern Australian waters from southern Queensland and this one was just north of marley headland off the Royal National Park.
PJs live in rocky environments and near the bottom. Their food include sea urchins, molluscs, crustaceans and fishes and sea urchins.
Port Jackson Sharks forage for food at night when their prey are most active. They often use caves and rocky outcrops as protection during the day.
When you think of shark teeth, think of large sharp teeth. But PJs teeth are different. The front teeth are small and pointed and the back teeth are broad and hard. The teeth function to hold and break, then crush and grind the various shell fish.
A PJ can pump water into its first enlarged gill slit and out through the other four-gill slits. This enables it to lie on the bottom for long periods of time without moving. Most other sharks have to swim with their mouths open to forces water over the gills. The PJ has no need to do this. It is the perfect couch potato of the shark world!
We always bring in, take out the hook, take a picture and then release them.