Pondicherry shark
| Pondicherry shark | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Subdivision: | Selachimorpha |
| Order: | Carcharhiniformes |
| Family: | Carcharhinidae |
| Genus: | Carcharhinus |
| Species: | C. hemiodon
|
| Binomial name | |
| Carcharhinus hemiodon (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839)
| |
| |
| Range of the Pondicherry shark[1] | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Carcharias hemiodon J. P. Müller & Henle (ex Valenciennes), 1839 | |
The Pondicherry shark (Carcharhinus hemiodon) is an extremely rare
caudal fin
lower lobe.
The Pondicherry shark is critically endangered. It was once found throughout
Critically endangered, it had been thought to be extinct since the 1970s. It is probably threatened by intense and escalating fishing pressure throughout its range. The shark is among the 25 "most wanted lost" species that are the focus of Global Wildlife Conservation's "Search for Lost Species" initiative.[2] The Pondicherry has been spotted in rivers in India in the late 2010s.[3]
A Pondicherry shark was caught in the Menik Ganga (river) in SE Sri Lanka in 2011. It was photographed and released alive.
Taxonomy
The first
zoologist Achille Valenciennes. The specific epithet hemiodon is derived from the Greek hemi ("half") and odon ("tooth").[4][5][6]
In 1862,
pectoral fins. Subsequent authors generally accepted Gill's first revision but not his second, and thus this species became known as Hypoprion hemiodon. In 1985, Jack Garrick followed up on earlier taxonomic work by Leonard Compagno and synonymized Hypoprion with Carcharhinus.[6] Another common name for the Pondicherry shark is long nosed shark.[7]
Phylogeny
The
spottail shark (C. sorrah), creek whaler (C. fitzroyensis), whitecheek shark (C. dussumieri), Borneo shark (C. borneensis), and hardnose shark (C. macloti).[8]
Description
The Pondicherry shark has a robust build and a moderately long, pointed snout. The large and circular eyes are equipped with
tooth rows on either side respectively; in addition, there are one or two rows of small teeth at the upper and lower symphyses (jaw midpoints). The upper teeth have a single narrow, smooth-edged central cusp, flanked on both sides by very large serrations. The lower teeth are narrower and more upright than the uppers, and may be smooth to finely serrated. The five pairs of gill slits are fairly long.[6][9][10]
Originating below the fourth pair of gill slits, the pectoral fins are short, broad, and falcate (sickle-shaped) with pointed tips. The first dorsal fin is tall and falcate with a distinctively long free rear tip, and is positioned just behind the pectoral fin bases. The second dorsal fin is large and tall without a notably elongated free rear tip, and is positioned over or slightly behind the
caudal fin origin. The asymmetrical caudal fin has a well-developed lower lobe and a longer upper lobe with a notch in the trailing margin near the tip.[6][9][10]
The skin is covered by overlapping
dermal denticles; each denticle has three horizontal ridges leading to three (rarely five) marginal teeth. This species is gray above and white below, with an obvious pale stripe on the flanks. The pectoral fins, second dorsal fin, and lower caudal fin lobe are prominently tipped in black, while the first dorsal fin and dorsal caudal fin lobe are narrowly edged in black. The maximum size reached by the Pondicherry shark is uncertain due to a lack of large specimens, but is probably not much greater than 1 m (3.3 ft).[6][10]
Distribution and habitat
The Pondicherry shark appears to have been broadly distributed in the
Hooghli River and the Saigon River.[6] These reports may have confused a river shark (Glyphis sp.) for the Pondicherry shark; if accurate, they would suggest this species to be tolerant of low salinity.[10]
Biology and ecology
The diet of the Pondicherry shark is thought to consist of small
viviparous with the developing embryos sustained to term via a placental connection to the mother, though specific details are unknown.[10] The smallest known specimen is a female 32 cm (13 in) long, which may be close to the birth size. Sexual maturity is attained at a length of over 60 cm (24 in).[6]
Human interactions
Harmless to humans, the Pondicherry shark was caught and used for meat.Critically endangered and placed a high priority on locating any surviving populations.[1]
References
- ^ . Retrieved 24 May 2023.
- ^ "The Search for Lost Species". Global Wildlife Conservation. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^ Sankar, K. N. Murali (September 10, 2018). "'Pondicherry shark' spotted near Kakinada". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
- ^ Müller, J.; Henle, F.G.J. (1839). Systematische Beschreibung der Plagiostomen (volume 2). Veit und Comp. p. 35.
- ^ Eschmeyer, W.N., ed. (2013). "hemiodon, Carcharias (Hypoprion)". Catalog of Fishes. Archived from the original on March 14, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Garrick, J.A.F. (1985). Additions to a revision of the shark genus Carcharhinus: Synonymy of Aprionodon and Hypoprion, and description of a new species of Carcharhinus (Carcharhinidae). NOAA Technical Report NMFS 34: 13–17.
- ^ a b c Froese, R.; Pauly, D., eds. (2011). "Carcharhinus hemiodon, Pondicherry shark". FishBase. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
- ISBN 978-0-691-08453-4.
- ^ ISBN 978-92-5-101384-7.
- ^ ISBN 978-3-89937-132-1.
- ^ Bikash, P.P.; Buddhadeb, M. (2010). "On three new species and two known species of the genus Acanthobothrium van Beneden, 1849 (Cestoidea : Onchobothridae) from the cartilaginous fishes from Digha waters, Bay of Bengal, India". Journal of Natural History – Kalyani. 6 (1): 24–45.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carcharhinus hemiodon.