Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) >
Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks) >
Scyliorhinidae (Cat sharks) > Scyliorhininae
Etymology: Cephaloscyllium: cephalus, from kephale (Gr.), head, referring to its very broad and depressed head; skylion, Greek for dogfish or small shark (See ETYFish); zebrum: Derived from the Amharic zebra, referring to zebra-like narrow bars on dorsal and lateral surfaces of head and body (See ETYFish).
More on authors: Last & White.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range ? - 454 m (Ref. 76948). Tropical
Western Pacific: Australia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 44.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 76948); 43.5 cm TL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
A small species with the following set of characters: head 10.2-11.1% TL in height, trunk narrow, its width 14.7-15.7% TL; origin of first dorsal-fin slightly behind mid pelvic-fin base; prenarial 4.4-4.8% TL in length; preorbital snout length is 1.5 times prenarial length, 2.8-2.9 in prepectoral length, about 6.3 in prepelvic length; snout-vent, 49.4-50.3% TL in length; nostril 2.2-2.4% TL in width; eye-spiracle space is wide, 1.1-1.3% TL; height of pectoral fin 11.3-12.1% TL, posterior margin length 10.6-11.6% TL; height of anal fin 3.2-3.3% TL; anal-caudal space about 5.4% TL; precaudal length 75-76% TL; interdorsal space 6.2-7.7% TL; teeth often with 3-5 cusps near symphysis of upper jaw; flank denticles are unicuspidate or weakly tricuspidate; back with no greatly enlarged denticles; adult clasper is long, up to 8.2% TL, almost reaching anal fin, interspace about 3.9 in anal-fin base; vertebral centra 110-111; low tooth count, each jaw with 59-62 teeth; upper half is pale with 31-34 narrow, saddle-like bars on body and tail; broad interspaces between bars, about 1.5 times width of adjacent bar; no large blotches (Ref. 76948).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Last, P.R. and W.T. White, 2008. Two new saddled swellsharks (Cephaloscyllium: Scyliorhinidae) from Eastern Australia. In Last, P.R., White, W.T. & Pogonoski, J.J. (eds.): Descriptions of New Australian Chondrichthyans. CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Paper no. 22. (Ref. 76948)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00263 (0.00138 - 0.00502), b=3.21 (3.04 - 3.38), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.0 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary low fecundity).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (35 of 100).
