Black spot shark
| Black spot shark | ||||||||||||
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Black spot shark ( Carcharhinus sealei ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Carcharhinus sealei | ||||||||||||
| ( Pietschmann , 1913) |
The black spot shark ( Carcharhinus sealei ) is a species of the genus Carcharhinus within the Requiem sharks (Carcharhinidae). The distribution area is in the coastal areas of the Indian Ocean and in the Indo-Pacific.
Appearance and characteristics
The black-spotted shark is a comparatively small and slender shark for the species, with an average size of less than 100 cm. It has a gray to brownish back and a light belly. On the second dorsal fin this species has a very distinct black spot that occupies the entire tip of the fin and is brightly set off in front. Light, indistinct stripes can appear on the flanks.
The shark has a long, pointed snout and large, horizontal eyes. It has an anal fin and two dorsal fins . The first dorsal fin is comparatively small and sickle-shaped, it lies above or slightly behind the free end of the pectoral fins. An interdorsal ridge may be present. The second dorsal fin is comparatively high and begins above the anal fin or slightly backwards. The pectoral fins are relatively wide. Like all species of the genus, the animals have five gill slits and no injection hole .
Way of life
The black spot shark lives close to the coast in the area of the continental shelf and on island bases from the surface to depths of around 40 m. It predatory feeds mainly on various bony fish and invertebrates.
Reproduction
Like other species of the genus, it is viviparous and forms a yolk sac placenta ( placental viviparous ). The females give birth to one or two young animals after a gestation period of around 9 months. The juvenile sharks are around 35 centimeters in size and are born near the coast. The very slowly growing animals reach sexual maturity at a length of about 70 to 80 cm.
distribution
The distribution area of the black-spotted shark extends in the Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific from the west coast of Africa from South Africa via Mozambique , Tanzania , Kenya and Madagascar to the coast of Pakistan and India to Southeast Asia and western and northern Australia .
literature
- Leonard Compagno , Marc Dando, Sarah Fowler: Sharks of the World . Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford 2005, ISBN 978-0-691-12072-0 , pp. 305-306.
Web links
- Species portrait on hai.ch
- Black spot shark on Fishbase.org (English)
- Carcharhinus sealei inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: White, WT (SSG Australia & Oceania Regional Workshop, March 2003), 2003. Retrieved October 8, 2013.