Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) >
Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks) >
Pentanchidae (Deepwater catsharks)
Etymology: Halaelurus: halos (Gr.), sea; ailouros (Gr.), cat, probably an allusion to the vernacular “catshark,” so named for its cat-like eyes (See ETYFish); quagga: Etymology not explained, possibly referring to shark’s narrow vertical bars, similar to those of the zebra, Equus quagga (See ETYFish).
More on author: Alcock.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; depth range 54 - 187 m (Ref. 58018). Deep-water; 15°N - 8°N, 74°E - 76°E
Western Indian Ocean: Somalia (Indian Ocean coast) and India (Arabian Sea), offshore on continental slope (Ref. 86593).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 31.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 86593); 36.8 cm TL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
A small shark with numerous (>20) vertical stripes on the body without dark spots, snout tip knoblike but not prominently upturned. Eyes in adults 12–13 times in distance from snout to first dorsal origin. Anterior nasal flaps sub triangular. Gills dorsolaterally placed and elevated above the mouth level. First dorsal-fin origin about opposite pelvic-fin insertion. Light brown above with pale ventral side, dark brown cross bands on the body (Ref. 86593).
Found on the continental shelves, (Ref. 244), on or near the bottom (Ref. 30573). Attains a maximum size of 37.0 cm TL; female of 36.8 cm TL was gravid and contained eight egg cases, four in each uterus (Ref. 86593). Feeds on shrimps. Collection by deep-sea shrimp trawlers may indicate that the species could have a wider depth distribution, possibly down to 280 m (Ref. 86593). Not utilized at present (Ref. 244).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Akhilesh, K.V., K K. Bineesh, C.P.R. Shanis, B.A. Human and U. Ganga, 2011. Rediscovery and description of the quagga shark, Halaelurus quagga (Alcock, 1899) (Chondrichthyes: Scyliorhinidae) from the southwest coast of India. Zootaxa 2781:40-48. (Ref. 86593)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5078 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00355 (0.00175 - 0.00721), b=3.08 (2.90 - 3.26), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.2 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (27 of 100).
