FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

1280 Sharks
Key to the species of Scyliorhinidae occurring in the area
Note: this key does not include various undescribed species of the large and problematical genus
Apristurus that occur in the area but which need further study to determine their validity and the means of
separating them from described species. There are also several Apristurus species recently described
from the South China Sea that may occur in the area but were not published with precise localities given
and which are omitted from the key. There is an undescribed species of Parmaturus from Indonesia that
could not be placed in the key.
1a. Supraorbital crests present on cranium, above eyes (Fig. 1a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → 2
1b. Supraorbital crests absent from cranium (Fig. 1b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → 14
2a. Second dorsal fin about as large as first . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → 3
2b. Second dorsal fin considerably smaller than first . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → 6
3a. Anterior nasal flaps not expanded and not reaching mouth; nasoral grooves absent
(Figs 2a and 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aulohalaelurus kanakorum
3b. Anterior nasal flaps greatly expanded, reaching mouth; nasoral grooves present
(Fig. 2b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Atelomycterus) → 4
crest
a) Cephaloscyllium b) Galeus
Fig. 1 cranium (dorsal view)
no crest
nasal flaps not
reaching mouth
a) Aulohalaelurus
kanakorum
nasoral
grooves
nasal flaps
reaching mouth
b) Atelomycterus
Fig. 2 ventral view of head
4a. Dorsal fins not angled rearwards, posterior margins sloping posteroventrally from fin
apices; black spots and markings relatively few, small, and scattered, colour pattern
dominated by greyish saddles and bands on light background (Fig. 4) . . . Atelomycterus fasciatus
4b. Dorsal fins angled rearwards, posterior margins sloping anteroventrally from fin apices;
black spots and markings numerous and dominating colour pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → 5
Fig. 3 Aulohalaelurus kanakorum Fig. 4 Atelomycterus fasciatus
5a. Colour pattern of grey saddles separated by light areas and outlined by numerous small
black spots (hatchlings have a simpler pattern of dusky saddles, remarkably similar to
the coolie loach, Acanthophthalmus semicinctus) (Fig.5) . . . . . . . . . . Atelomycterus macleayi
5b. Saddle markings obsolete, light grey and white spots outlined by large black spots, bars
and lines (Fig. 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Atelomycterus marmoratus
Fig. 5 Atelomycterus macleayi Fig. 6 Atelomycterus marmoratus