SHARKS AND RAYS OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA PAPUA OF SHARKS AND RAYS Sharks and Rays of Papua New Guinea SHARKS and RAYS This full-colour field guide is the result of a collaborative project between the Papua New Guinea National Fisheries Authority and the Commonwealth Scientific of and Industrial Research Organisation in Australia, and funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. PAPUA The first comprehensive reference on the sharks and rays of Papua New Guinea, it contains everything you need to know about recognising and identifying the NEW sharks, rays and chimaeras found in Papua New Guinean waters, both marine and freshwater. Its user-friendly layout contains information on identifying features, size, distribution, habitat, biology and conservation status of 132 species. It is an GUINEA essential reference for all shark and ray enthusiasts—including local fishers and consumers, divers, fisheries and conservation officers, and scientists. William T. White 4 Leontine Baje 4 Benthly Sabub 4 Sharon A. Appleyard 4 189 John J. Pogonoski 4 Papua New Guinea Naonal Fisheries Authority Ralph R. Mana 4 SHARKS and RAYS PAPUA of NEW GUINEA William T. White 4 Leontine Baje 4 Benthly Sabub 4 Sharon A. Appleyard 4 John J. Pogonoski 4 Ralph R. Mana 4 Papua New Guinea Naonal Fisheries Authority The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) was established in June 1982 by an Act of the Australian Parliament. ACIAR operates as part of Australia’s international development cooperation program, with a mission to achieve more productive and sustainable agricultural systems, for the benefit of developing countries and Australia. It commissions collaborative research between Australian and developing-country researchers in areas where Australia has special research competence. It also administers Australia’s contribution to the International Agricultural Research Centres. Where trade names are used, this constitutes neither endorsement of nor discrimination against any product by ACIAR. ACIAR MONOGRAPH SERIES This series contains the results of original research supported by ACIAR, or material deemed relevant to ACIAR’s research and development objectives. The series is distributed internationally, with an emphasis on developing countries. © Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) 2017 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under theCopyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from ACIAR, GPO Box 1571, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia, [email protected] White W.T., Baje, L., Sabub, B., Appleyard, S.A., Pogonoski, J.J., Mana, R.R. 2017. Sharks and rays of Papua New Guinea. ACIAR Monograph No. 189. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research: Canberra. 327 pp. ACIAR Monograph No. 189 ACIAR Monographs—ISSN 1031-8194 (print), ISSN 1447-090X (online) ISBN 978-1-925746-03-7 (print) ISBN 978-1-925746-04-4 (online) Design by William White, CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere Cover design by William White, CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere Illustrations by Lindsay Marshall and Georgina Davies Printing by CanPrint Communications iii Foreword Papua New Guinea (PNG) is renowned for the diversity of its terrestrial fauna. Iconic species include the birds of paradise, tree kangaroos and the cryptic but photogenic cuscus. In contrast, the marine fauna of PNG is poorly described, despite the importance of marine resources for domestic consumption and international trade. This fine book starts to redress this imbalance, by pointing out the significance of sharks and rays in the traditional culture of PNG and going on to provide a comprehensive account of their biological diversity. All coastal communities in PNG are involved in fishing for local food supply and wider commerce. Sharks are among the most important species exploited by large commercial operators, primarily for export—along with pelagic bony fishes (especially tunas) and prawns. Given the importance of these marine resources for livelihoods and commerce, the paucity of information on species composition, distribution and abundance is an impediment to sustainable management and one that needs to be addressed. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) is a statutory authority within the Australian Government, responsible for managing international research and development as part of the Australian aid program. ACIAR’s thematic areas encompass crops, livestock, socioeconomics, natural resources, forestry and fisheries. PNG is ACIAR’s largest country program, and fisheries work comprises a major part of the portfolio. Under the partnership model that characterises ACIAR’s work, Australian fisheries scientists work closely with staff of the PNG National Fisheries Authority (NFA) in developing inland and marine aquaculture, as well as sports fisheries, in assessing commercial marine resources, and in building science and project-management capacity. This magnificent book is the product of one such partnership. It embodies the knowledge generated by a project on the sustainable management of the shark resources of PNG, jointly implemented by scientific staff from the NFA and Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). It is a comprehensive synthesis of the taxonomy and biology of all the sharks and rays present in PNG waters. Undoubtedly, it will be an invaluable guide for fisheries managers, and a high-quality resource for universities delivering marine biology courses in the Australia–Pacific region and beyond. On behalf of ACIAR and the Australian aid program, I congratulate the authors, their institutes, and all involved in the preparation and production of the book. The breadth of information and quality of the publication testify to the rigour of the research and the professionalism of the partners: CSIRO and the NFA. This book is iv a significant contribution to knowledge of the fauna of PNG, and I hope that it is the forerunner of similar assessments of other PNG marine resources. Dr Chris Barlow Research Program Manager—Fisheries Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research v Contents Foreword .........................................................................................................................iii Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 How to use this book ..................................................................................................... 7 Glossary ......................................................................................................................... 11 Key to families and genera ......................................................................................... 22 Species profiles ............................................................................................................. 33 Order Hexanchiformes ................................................................................................. 34 Family Hexanchidae (cowsharks) ....................................................................... 34 Order Squaliformes ....................................................................................................... 36 Family Squalidae (dogfishes) ............................................................................... 36 Family Centrophoridae (gulper sharks) ............................................................. 42 Family Etmopteridae (lanternsharks) ................................................................ 52 Family Dalatiidae (kitefin sharks) ....................................................................... 58 Order Orectolobiformes ............................................................................................... 60 Family Orectolobidae (wobbegongs) ................................................................. 60 Family Hemiscylliidae (longtailed carpetsharks) ��������������������������������������������� 68 Family Ginglymostomatidae (nurse sharks) ..................................................... 78 Family Stegostomatidae (zebra sharks) .............................................................. 80 Family Rhincodontidae (whale sharks) ............................................................. 82 Order Lamniformes ...................................................................................................... 84 Family Alopiidae (thresher sharks) .................................................................... 84 Family Lamnidae (mackerel sharks) .................................................................. 88 Family Odontaspididae (sandtiger sharks) ........................................................ 92 Family Pseudocarchariidae (crocodile sharks) ................................................. 94 Order Carcharhiniformes ............................................................................................. 96 Family Scyliorhinidae (catsharks) ...................................................................... 96 Family Pentanchidae (deepwater catsharks) ................................................... 102 Family Triakidae (houndsharks) ....................................................................... 116 Family Hemigaleidae (weasel sharks) .............................................................. 122 Family Carcharhinidae (whaler sharks) ........................................................... 126 Family