Squatina tergocellatoides
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| Chen , 1963 |
Squatina tergocellatoides is a ground-dwelling shark that is found in the Pacific in the coastal area of Taiwan and northwest of Malaysia .
Appearance and characteristics
The female Squatina tergocellatoides used for the first description had a body length of 63 centimeters. As with other angel sharks, the body is strongly flattened with very broad pectoral fins , which makes the animals look more like long rays in shape . However, the pectoral fins are clearly separated from the trunk, while in most rays they merge seamlessly into the body. Squatina tergocellatoides has two dorsal fins and no anal fin . The body has a light yellow-brown back color with densely scattered small white spots and six pairs of eye spots on the pectoral and pelvic fins and at the base of the tail, consisting of dark rings around a light core. There are no enlarged thorns on the back.
The eyes are on the top of the head with a concave surface between the eyes, the mouth is terminal, the outer nostrils are provided with short barbels . The injection holes are large. The number of lateral, lower gill openings is five. The nasal flaps and barbels are only slightly fringed.
distribution
Squatina tergocellatoides is so far only known from the Taiwan Strait and northwest of Malaysia , where the species was detected by trapping. There is no information about the exact distribution and the preferred depth; a depth distribution of 100 to 300 meters is assumed.
Way of life
No data are available on the way of life of Squatina tergocellatoides . Like other angel sharks, it probably feeds mainly on small bony fish, molluscs and crustaceans , which it prey on lying on the ground as a stalker . Like all angel sharks, it is ovoviviparous - the eggs are hatched in the mother before the young are born alive.
Danger
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies this shark like all angel sharks in the area as endangered ("Vulnerable"). The sharks are not deliberately fished, but mainly caught as bycatch in the bottom and trawling fisheries that are carried out throughout its range. The classification as an endangered species was made despite the poor knowledge of the species by comparison with other angel sharks, in which population declines of more than 80% were proven for areas with high fishing pressure.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c Squatina tergocellatoides in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2010. Posted by: Walsh, JH & Ebert, DA, 2008. Accessed on December 18 of 2010.
literature
- Leonard Compagno , Marc Dando, Sarah Fowler: Sharks of the World . Princeton University Press , Princeton and Oxford 2005, pp. 143-144, ISBN 978-0-691-12072-0 .
Web links
- Squatina tergocellatoides on Fishbase.org (English)