Porbeagle Shark (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)

Buy on

Buy on.

Buy on

The porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus) is a mackerel shark of cold waters. The origin of its common name is unknown. One theory is that ‘porbeagle’ is a combination of ‘porpoise’ and ‘beagle’, in reference to the shark’s tenacious hunting behavior. Another is that it is a combination of the Cornish words porth (harbor) and bugel (shepherd). It’s Latin name nasus (nose) refers to calcified cartilage in the animal’s rostrum. Two disjunct populations of the shark exist, one in the North Atlantic and one in the Southern Ocean. It occurs at depths of 0-1,360 meters and is an opportunistic hunter of bony fishes and cephalopods throughout the water column. Because of overfishing, both intentionally and as bycatch, the porbeagle is listed as Vulnerable globally by the IUCN, and specifically as Endangered in the western North Atlantic and Critically Endangered in the eastern North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. For my annual Shark Week contribution, we will be looking at the 2024 porbeagle figure by Safari Ltd., to my knowledge the first of its species to arrive in plastic!

For starters, let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way. Yes, this is a reuse of Safari’s 2023 salmon shark. But honestly, many of us collectors are not at all bothered by that. Given how similar the two species are morphologically, it seemed a convenient and economically smart way to introduce both species to the toy/figure world! The porbeagle and salmon sharks are sister species; the salmon shark occupies a similar ecological niche in the North Pacific as the porbeagle does in the North Atlantic. It is unsure when speciation occurred, but it was likely when the ice cap formed over the Arctic ocean, effectively genetically isolating the two populations. In addition to being painted differently, Safari did make an effort to rebrand the porbeagle with its own name. Both figures are stamped ‘2022’ however, which was likely the year the original model was produced.

The shark measures approximately 13.0 cm for a scale of 1:14.3-1:26.9 based on metrics provided by Fishbase.

The shark is sculpted in a fairly neutral pose, as if gently turning to its right. All fins are accounted for and in the right proportions. The pelvic fins are not modified into claspers, suggesting a female specimen. The number of gill slits is correct (5) and the mouth is open revealing tiny, yet sharp, teeth.

The color is natural for the species, blue dorsally and white on the lower sides and ventrally (a common color pattern in nature for pelagic predators, so as not to be easily seen from either direction by potential prey). There is a little white at the lower back of the dorsal fin, which the fish exhibits in nature. The only thing that would have been nicer is if the transition between the darker dorsal and white sides was more blotchy and not so even and smooth. But still, not bad for a figure of its size and price point.

I feel from forum posts that the porbeagle has been a ‘wished for’ species by collectors for a while now, and it was great that Safari finally came through for us! The reuse of the salmon shark sculpt is not an issue either, as the two species are colored quite differently and don’t distract from one another on the shelf. This Safari porbeagle comes highly recommended to collectors of interesting taxa, sharks, or sea life generally.