Speckled swellshark
| Speckled swellshark | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Subdivision: | Selachimorpha |
| Order: | Carcharhiniformes |
| Family: | Scyliorhinidae |
| Genus: | Cephaloscyllium |
| Species: | C. speccum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cephaloscyllium speccum | |
The speckled swellshark (Cephaloscyllium speccum) is a little-known
continental slope, at a depth of 150–455 m (492–1,493 ft). This species grows to 69 cm (27 in) long and has a stocky body and a short, broad, flattened head. As its common name suggests, its color pattern consists of many dark spots and white-spotted dark saddles and blotches on a light gray background. The juveniles are yellow with dark spots and lines, and a distinctive eyespot
-like mark behind each eye. Like other swellsharks, this species can inflate itself as a defensive measure.
Taxonomy
In 1994,
type specimen is a 68 cm (27 in) long adult male collected from Rowley Shoals off Western Australia.[2]
Distribution and habitat
The speckled swellshark is found only off Western Australia, from Rowley Shoals to
continental slope at a depth of 150–455 m (492–1,493 ft).[2]
Description
The speckled swellshark attains a maximum known length of 69 cm (27 in). The body is fairly stout and the head is short, wide, and strongly flattened. The snout is blunt, with the
pectoral fin bases and are shorter than the first three.[2]
The pectoral fins are moderate in size, with somewhat pointed tips and nearly straight trailing margins. The
dermal denticles with a median ridge. Adults are light gray above, with numerous small dark spots interspersed with a series of larger dark saddles and blotches that contain small white spots, including a white-spotted blotch behind and another below each eye. The underside is plain off-white, sometimes with darker or lighter blotches. Juveniles are light yellow with broken brown lines forming rosettes and hollow saddles, including a pair of eyespot-like markings between the spiracles.[2][3]
Biology and ecology
Like other members of its genus, when threatened the speckled swellshark can take water or air into its stomach to increase its girth. Males mature sexually at under a length of 64 cm (25 in). Only a few specimens have been collected and little is known of its natural history.[3]
Human interactions
The
Data Deficient. There is little fishing activity within its range.[1]
References
- ^ . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ ISBN 1-921424-18-2(invalid, listed in publication).
- ^ ISBN 0-674-03411-2.