Family Scylliorhinoidae), Ann.Lyceum Nat.Hist.N.Y., 7(32):408
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click for previous page - 188 - 7.4 FAMILY HEMISCYLLIIDAE Gill, 1862 HEMIS Subfamily Hemiscylliinae Gill, 1862 (Family Scylliorhinoidae), Ann.Lyceum Nat.Hist.N.Y., 7(32):408. Synonymy : Subfamily Chiloscylliinae Gill, 1862 (Family Scylliorhinoidae). FAO Names : En - Bamboo sharks, Longtailed carpetsharks; Fr - Requins chabot; Sp - Bamboas. Field Marks : Small, slender sharks with nasoral grooves, perinasal grooves, short barbels, small transverse mouths in front of eyes, dorsolateral eyes, large spiracles below eyes, no lateral skin flaps on head, two spineless dorsal fins, the second dorsal origin well ahead of the anal origin, a long, low keel-like rounded anal fin separated from the lower caudal origin by a narrow notch, and a long precaudal tail much greater. than the head and body length. Diagnostic Features : Body cylindrical or slightly depressed, with or without ridges on sides. Head narrow to moderately broad and cylindrical to somewhat flattened, without lateral flaps of skin, snout broadly rounded or slightly pointed; eyes dorsolaterally situated on head, without subocular pockets; spiracles very large, subequal in size to eyes and somewhat below them; gill slits small, fifth overlapping fourth; internal gill slits without filter screens; nostrils with short, pointed barbels and distinct circumnarial folds and grooves around outer edges of incurrent apertures; mouth small, subterminal on head, and nearly transverse, without a symphyseal groove on chin; teeth not strongly differentiated in jaws, with a medial cusp, lateral cusplets present or not, and weak labial root lobes; tooth rows 26 to 35/21 to 32. Caudal peduncle without lateral keels or precaudal pits. Dorsal fins equal-sized, first dorsal with origin varying from over the pelvic bases to well behind them and insertion well behind the pelvic rear tips; pectoral fins small, broad and rounded, as large as pelvic fins or slightly larger, with fin radials not expanded into fin web; pelvic fins about as large as dorsals but slightly larger than anal fin; anal fin somewhat smaller than second dorsal, with its origin behind second dorsal insertion; anal fin with broad base and broadly rounded, keel-like apex, separated by a narrow notch much less than base length from lower caudal origin; caudal fin with its upper lobe hardly elevated above the body axis, less than a fifth as long as the entire shark, with a strong terminal lobe and subterminal notch but no ventral lobe. Supraorbital crests present on cranium, not laterally expanded. Valvuler intestine of ring type. Colour pattern of dark saddles and dark or light spots present, or colour plain. Habitat, Distribution and Biology: These are common, small, harmless, inshore bottom sharks of continental waters of the tropical western Pacific, ranging from Madagascar in the west to Japan, the Philippines, and the Australian region in the east. One genus (Hemiscyllium) is confined to Australia and New Guinea, but the second (Chiloscyllium) is wide-ranging. They commonly occur in the intertidal, in tidepools on rocky or coral reefs close inshore, sometimes in water sufficient only to cover them. Their slender bodies and strong, muscular, leg-like paired fins are ideal for clambering on reefs and in crevices. These sharks are small, less than 1 m maximum length. At least some of the species are oviparous, depositing eggs on the bottom in oval egg cases. Food of these sharks is little known, but probably includes small bottom fishes and invertebrates. Several of the species are very hardy and can live over a decade in captivity and even reproduce there. Interest to Fisheries : Hemiscyllium species are little utilized for fisheries, but Chiloscyllium species are commonly caught in smallscale artisanal fisheries and by bottom trawlers in the western Pacific and eastern central Indian Ocean. Remarks : The arrangement of this family follows Garman (1913), Fowler (1941) and Whitley (1967). Key to Genera 1a. Nostrils subterminal on snout (Fig. la). Eyes and supraorbital ridges hardly elevated. Preoral snout long, mouth closer to eyes than snout tip. No black hood on head or large dark spot or spots on sides of body above pectoral fins (Fig. 1b) ……................................................. Chiloscyllium nostrils subterminal on snout b. lateral view a. underside of head Chiloscyllium Fig.1 - 189 - Nostrils terminal on snout (Fig. 2a). Eyes and supraorbital ridges prominently elevated. Preoral snout short, mouth closer to snout tip than eyes. A large dark spot or spots on sides of body above pectoral fins, or a black hood on head (Fig. 2b) .............…………………………...... Hemiscyllium nostrils virtually terminal on snout b. lateral view a. underside of head Hemiscyllium Fig.2 Chiloscyllium Müller & Henle, 1837 HEMIS Chilo Genus: Chiloscyllium Müller & Henle, 1837, Ber.K.Preuss.Akad.Wiss.Berl., 2:112 (no species mentioned). Type Species : Scyllium plagiosum Bennett, 1830, by subsequent monotypy of Müller & Henle, in Smith, 1837, Proc.Zool.Soc. Lond., 5:85; also by subsequent designation of Gill, 1862, Ann.Lyceum Nat.Hist.N.Y., 7:408. Synonymy : Synchismus Gill,1862. Diagnostic Features : Snout relatively long, nostrils subterminal and well separated from snout tip. Eyes and supraorbital ridges hardly elevated. Mouth slightly closer to eyes than snout tip. Lower labial folds usually connected across chin by a dermal fold. Pectoral and pelvic fins relatively thin, not heavily muscular. No black hood on head or large dark spot or spots on sides of body above pectoral fins. Remarks : The arrangement of this genus follows Garman (1913) and Fowler (1941). The genus is long overdue for a detailed systematic review from a large number of specimens from different localities, and the arrangement of the genus presented here is very tentative. The six species recognized here are probably valid, but there may be additional species that are being confused with the valid ones (especially with C. griseum and C. punctatum). Key to Species : 1a. Body and tail very slender. Anal fin origin far behind free rear tip of second dorsal, length of anal fin from origin to free rear tip subequal to length of hypural caudal lobe from lower caudal origin to subterminal notch. Colour pattern with numerous small dark spots and bars ..........................................................………………………………...................... C. indicum 1b. Body and.tail moderately slender to relatively stout. Anal fin origin below or close behind free rear tip of second dorsal, length of anal fin considerably shorter than hypural caudal lobe. Colour pattern varied but without numerous small dark spots and bars 2a. Ground colour of body dark with numerous light spots 3a. Dorsal fins large and angular, snout tip truncated. Colour pattern without transverse dark bands, spots blue .......................….................................... C. caerulopunctatum 3b. Dorsal fins smaller and more rounded, snout tip broadly rounded. Colour pattern with transverse broad dark saddles, spots white ..............……...................... C. plagiosum 2b. Ground colour of body light, with or without scattered dark spots or dusky bands 4a. Dorsal fins smaller than pelvic fins, dorsals without projecting free rear tips .............................…………………………................................................................ C. griseum 4b. Dorsal fins larger than pelvic fins, dorsals with projecting free rear tips 5a. A lateral ridge present on each side of trunk. First dorsal origin over or behind pelvic fin bases. No colour pattern ...................................………........... C. arabicum 5b. No lateral ridges on trunk. First dorsal origin over anterior halves of pelvic fin bases. A colour pattern of saddles and a few scattered dark spots in young ...............………................................................…............... C. punctatum - 190 - Chiloscyllium arabicum Gubanov, 1980 HEMIS Chilo 3 Chiloscyllium arabicum Gubanov, in Gubanov & Schleib (eds), 1980, Sharks of the Arabian Gulf, 14, figs 6-7, pl. Holotype: Uncertain. Type Locality: Persian Gulf. Synonymy : None. FAO Names : En - Arabian carpetshark; Fr - Requin-chabot camot; Sp - Bamboa arabiga. Field Marks : Mouth well in front of eyes, spineless dorsal fins far posterior on tail, greatly elongated thick precaudal tail, long and low anal fin just anterior to caudal fin, lateral ridges on trunk, dorsal fins with elongated free rear tips, first dorsal origin opposite or just behind pelvic insertions, no colour pattern. Diagnostic Features: Body and tail moderately slender. Snout fairly thick and rounded anteriorly; a lateral ridge present on each side of trunk. Dorsal fins large and angular, somewhat larger than pelvic fins, dorsals with projecting free rear tips; interdorsal space very long, over twice first dorsal base; first dorsal origin over or behind pelvic fin bases; origin of anal fin somewhat behind free rear tip of first dorsal, anal fin length from origin to free rear tip somewhat less than hypural caudal lobe from lower caudal origin to free rear tip. No colour pattern, colour light brown. Geographical Distribution : As presently known confined to the "Gulf" between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Habitat and Biology : A common inshore to offshore bottom shark in the "Gulf", especially during the summer, depths from 3 to 100 m. Size : Maximum total length 70 cm. Interest to Fisheries : Minimal at present, apparently little utilized in the "Gulf" (Gubanov & Schleib, 1980). Literature : Gubanov & Schleib (1980).