Whaler Sharks - seafdec.org.my

10 S h a r k s a n d R a y s o f B o r n e o
Common and scientific names
The recommended common names generally follow English names adopted
by Compagno et al. (2005a) for sharks, and Last & Stevens (2009) and the relevant
sections in Carpenter & Niem (1999) for rays, with the exception of some species that
have a more commonly accepted regional name. Newly recognised species have been
give new common names. Alternative English, Indonesian and Malaysian names used in
the Indo–Malay Archipelago are also given under ‘Other names’. Local common names
are based on information gathered during this project, and from Yano et al. (2005) and
White et al. (2006b).
The scientific name of each species consists of genus and species names, the name of
the author(s) who named it, and the year in which it was named. Parentheses around
the author(s) and date indicate that the species was originally placed in a different genus.
Species of uncertain identity are referred to by their generic name followed by ‘sp.’.
Identifying features
These include the main features by which a species can be most easily identified in the
field, such as body and tooth shapes, fin positions and dimensions, and colour pattern. Each
character is ordered numerically and the corresponding number is usually positioned on
either the primary or secondary images to illustrate the feature or at least its location.
Size
Maximum size, and the sizes at birth, hatching and sexual maturity, is given for each
species when known. Unless stated otherwise, all measurements refer to total lengths of
species. In the case of sharks, total length is measured as a straight line from the tip of the
snout to the tip of the extended upper caudal-fin lobe. Ray sizes are also given as total
lengths, except in the families Dasyatidae, Gymnuridae, Myliobatidae, Rhinopteridae and
Mobulidae, where the tail is frequently absent or damaged. For these groups the main size
measurement is disc width (DW), taken from the extremities of the left and right pectoral
fins. The caudal filament at the tail tip of chimaeras is not included in the total length;
instead, the length measurement is taken at the posterior edge of the caudal fin.
Distribution
Maps show the distribution of each species in Borneo with specimen records marked
by circles; red is used for distributions recorded during the present study, blue for other
distributional data, and orange for unpublished data collected in Kalimantan by one of
us (Fahmi). An asterix indicates the type locality for those species originally described
from Borneo. These maps reflect current knowledge, but many species are probably more
widely distributed in the region. River drainages are not shown on the maps so some
distributional appear to be on land. Global distributional ranges for species and their
ranges within Borneo are provided separately in the text.