FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

Ginglymostomatidae 1261
spiracles large
Similar families occurring in the area
Brachaeluridae: spiracles very large, subequal or
larger than eyes, nostrils with circumnarial grooves, a
symphyseal groove present on chin, fins broadly
rounded, dorsal fins equal sized.
Hemiscylliidae: precaudal tail longer than trunk;
spiracles large, nearly or quite eye length; nostrils
Brachaeluridae
with circumnarial grooves; anal fin very low and
arcuate.
Stegostomatidae: body with lateral ridges; spiracles as large as eyes; first dorsal fin with origin far anterior
to pelvic-fin origins; caudal fin about 1/2 of total length.
spiracles large
spiracles large
Hemiscyllidae
Stegostomatidae
caudal fin very elongate
The combination of characters such as the nasoral grooves, the presence of barbels, the anterior mouth,
the posterior position of the first dorsal fin, the absence of nictitating lower eyelids, the absence of body
ridges, caudal keels and precaudal pits, and the asymmetrical caudal fin with ventral lobe weak or absent
readily distinguishes this family from all others in the area.
Size: Maximum total length about 3.2 m; commonly to 2.5 m.
Habitat, biology, and fisheries: A sluggish, nocturnal and sometimes diurnal shallow-water bottom shark
common on coral and rocky reefs, in lagoons and on sand flats, at depths from the intertidal zone to at
least 70 m. Ovoviviparous, size at birth about 60 cm. Feeds on a wide variety of bottom invertebrates and
small fishes; capable of capturing small reef fishes with its powerful suction feeding mechanism. Caught
inshore in Pakistan, India, Thailand, Philippines, and probably elsewhere where it occurs; taken in bottom
trawls, in floating and fixed
bottom gill nets, and with
longlines; utilized fresh and
dried-salted for human food;
livers are processed for
vitamins; fins dried for the
oriental sharkfin trade; also
processed for fishmeal.
Distribution: In the Indian
Ocean and western Pacific
from southeastern Africa and
the Red Sea eastward to
Japan, Australia, and Tahiti.
References
Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of
shark species known to date. Part 1. Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO Fish. Synop., (125)Vol.4.Pt.1:249 p.
Dingerkus, G. 1986. Interrelationships of orectolobiform sharks (Chondrichthyes: Selachii). Proc. 2nd Int. Conf.
Indo-Pacific Fish., 1986:227-245.
Regan, C.T. 1908. A revision of the sharks of the family Orectolobidae. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., (1908):347-364.