 | This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: see this and links within.(January 2020) |
| Hemiscyllium | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Hemiscyllium ocellatum | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Subdivision: | Selachimorpha |
| Order: | Orectolobiformes |
| Family: | Hemiscylliidae |
| Genus: | Hemiscyllium |
| Species | |
See text | |
Hemiscyllium is a genus of sharks in the family Hemiscylliidae.
Hemiscyllium sharks of the family Hemiscylliidae are also known as walking sharks [1] and Epaulette sharks. These small, nocturnal, benthic dwelling swimmers have evolved to be able to 'walk', or use their fins to propel themselves over rocks, into pools, or into small crevices in their habitats. [2] [3] Research from the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Queensland in Australia [1] has determined that this genus most recently split from the genus Chiloscyllium around 44 million years ago. [2] This genus is confined to tropical waters off Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia, [2] but an individual from this genus, possibly representing an undescribed species, has been photographed in the Seychelles. [4] They have short snouts with nostrils placed almost at the tip, well-elevated eyes, and supraorbital ridges. The mouth is closer to the tip of the snout than the eyes and lacks the connecting dermal fold across the chin. The pectoral and pelvic fins are thick and heavily muscular. Either a black hood on the head or a large black spot on the sides of the body is present, [5] though juveniles often are strongly marked with dark spots/bars. This shark family can survive around two hours out of water without any internal damage, can tolerate high levels of CO2, and are hypoxia and anoxia tolerant. [6]
Epaulette sharks live in shallow waters near reefs, tidepools or islands and are currently only found in the Western South Pacific. [7] Epaulette sharks use their fins to crawl inside small crevices or holes while hunting for small prey and escaping larger predators. [2] Each species in this genus also possesses a distinct black 'eye' spot behind its pectoral fins to deter predators by giving the appearance of a very large eye. [7] Neonate and juvenile epaulette sharks are born with lighter color markings and slightly different patterns, but their colors darken as they mature, with patterns shifting to mimic its environment. [7]
Nine recognized species are in this genus: [8] [9]
Carpet sharks are sharks classified in the order Orectolobiformes. Sometimes the common name "carpet shark" is used interchangeably with "wobbegong", which is the common name of sharks in the family Orectolobidae. Carpet sharks have five gill slits, two spineless dorsal fins, and a small mouth that does not extend past the eyes. Many species have barbels.
The Hemiscylliidae are a family of sharks in the order Orectolobiformes, commonly known as longtail carpet sharks and sometimes as bamboo sharks. They are found in shallow waters of the tropical Indo-Pacific.
The epaulette shark is a species of longtailed carpet shark of the family Hemiscylliidae, found in shallow, tropical waters off Australia and New Guinea. The common name of this shark comes from the very large, white-margined black spot behind each pectoral fin, which are reminiscent of military epaulettes. A small species usually under 1 m (3.3 ft) long, the epaulette shark has a slender body with a short head and broad, paddle-shaped paired fins. The caudal peduncle comprises over half the shark's length. Adults are light brown above, with scattered darker spots and indistinct saddles.
The Arabian carpetshark is a species of carpet shark in the family Hemiscylliidae, inhabiting coral reefs and other shallow coastal habitats from the Persian Gulf to India. Reaching 78 cm (31 in) long, this shark is characterized by a slender, plain brown body, and by two dorsal fins with straight trailing margins and the second smaller but longer-based than the first. The Arabian carpetshark feeds on bony fishes and invertebrates. Reproduction is oviparous with an annual cycle; females deposit egg capsules four at a time and the young hatch after 70–80 days. This small shark is often captured as bycatch but rarely used by humans. It has been assessed as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as there is increasing fishing pressure and habitat degradation within its range. It does well in aquariums and has been bred in captivity.
The Indonesian speckled carpetshark, Hemiscyllium freycineti, is a species of bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae. It is found in the shallow ocean around the Raja Ampat Islands in West Papua, Indonesia, but was formerly believed to be more widespread. This was due to confusion with H. michaeli, a species described from eastern Papua New Guinea in 2010. Compared to that species, the spots on H. freycineti are smaller, more rounded or slightly elongated in shape, and tend to darken at regular intervals forming 8-9 vertical bars on the body and tail. Furthermore, the large black spot behind the pectoral fin is more clearly defined in H. michaeli than in H. freycineti. Confusingly, some books with illustrations and photos labelled as H. freycineti actually show H. michaeli.
The Papuan epaulette shark, Hemiscyllium hallstromi, is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found around southern Papua New Guinea, between latitudes 7° S and 10° S, and longitude 144° E and 146° E. Its length is up to 75 cm.
The hooded carpetshark is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found around Papua New Guinea, between latitudes 5° S and 10° S, and longitude 144° E and 153° E. Its length is up to 75 cm. Like other longtailed carpetsharks, it can use its strong pectoral fins to walk on land for a short period of time. The hooded carpetshark is heavily wanted in the aquarium trade, the result is making this shark endangered.
The speckled carpetshark, Hemiscyllium trispeculare, is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found around north and west Australia between latitudes 8° S and 22° S, and longitude 114° E and 152° E. Its length is up to 79 cm, and it inhabits shallow coral reefs. It is also kept in aquaria. The speckled carpetshark is closely related to the epaulette shark
Melanotaenia is a genus of rainbowfish from Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea, and nearby smaller islands.
Vanderhorstia is a genus of gobies native to the Indian and Pacific oceans. The name of this genus honours the Dutch biologist Cornelius van der Horst (1889-1951) of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, who was well known for his interest in marine biology.
Paracheilinus is a genus of flasher wrasses, native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
Chiloscyllium is a genus of sharks in the family Hemiscylliidae.
Hemiscyllium galei, the Cenderawasih epaulette shark, is a species of bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae. Together with H. henryi, it was only scientifically described in 2008 by Gerald R. Allen and Mark V. Erdmann. At present, H. galei is only known from depths of 2 to 4 metres at reefs in the Cenderawasih Bay in West Papua, Indonesia. The largest known specimen was 56.8 centimetres (22.4 in) long. It can be separated from its relatives by the combination of seven relatively large dark spots along the side of the body, white markings on the edge of its dark dorsal saddles and other scattered white spots on the upper side.
The Triton epaulette shark is a species of bamboo shark in the genus Hemiscyllium, that is composed of nine morphologically similar, yet distinct, sharks that are geographically restricted to New Guinea and northern Australia. Hemiscylliidae are small nocturnal sharks aptly named "walking sharks" who exhibit a "crawling" movement while foraging on the ocean floor for fish and benthic invertebrates.
The leopard epaulette shark, also known as the Milne Bay epaulette shark and Michael's epaulette shark, is a species of bamboo shark in the genus Hemiscyllium. It is a tropical shark known from the shallow ocean in the Milne Bay region of eastern Papua New Guinea. The epaulette sharks of this region have long been confused with the Indonesian speckled carpetshark, and it was only in 2010 that H. michaeli was described as a separate species by Gerald R. Allen and Christine L. Dudgeon. It can reach a maximum length of 82 cm (32.3 in). Confusingly, some books with illustrations and photos labelled as H. freycineti actually show H. michaeli.
The Andover lionfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and lionfishes. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean.
Egglestonichthys is a genus of gobies native to brackish and marine waters of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
Feia is a genus of gobies native to shallow coastal waters of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
Hemiscyllium halmahera, or the Halmahera epaulette shark, is a species of bamboo shark from Indonesia. This species is described from two specimens collected near Ternate island in 2013, off the coast of larger Halmahera island. This species is most similar to Hemiscyllium galei, found in West Papua, but looks strikingly different in its pattern of spots. While H. galei has seven large, dark spots on each side of its body, H. halmahera has a brown color with clusters of brown or white spots in polygon configurations all over its body. These small sharks are like other bamboo sharks, in that they use their pectoral fins to "walk" along the ocean floor.