Crying Izak (Holohalaelurus melanostigma)

Scientific name: Holohalaelurus melanostigma Norman, 1939

The Crying Izak (Holohalaelurus melanostigma) is a marine fish of the family Scyliorhinidae. Native range: Western Indian Ocean, northern Tanzania and southern Kenya.

Biology

This moderately sized shark is distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: denticles on dorsal midline slightly enlarged, from a point level to the pectoral origin on the dorsal midline to the first dorsal origin; no enlarged denticles on the dorsal surface of the pectoral fin; no club-shaped papillae on the distal tip of the clasper; buccal papillae in mouth inconspicuous; moderate to high vertebral count, 121 total in the holotype 115 and 119 (mean 116.8) for the paratypes; relatively high tooth counts, 57 total upper teeth in the holotype (54, 59, mean 57.8 for the paratypes), 50 total lower teeth in the holotype (49, 63, mean 55.8 for the paratypes); large brown spots, stripes and blotches on a dull grey-brown background; a distinct tear line marking from the anterior of the orbit to the lateral margin of the snout; white spots absent.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Holohalaelurus melanostigma
Family
Scyliorhinidae (Cat sharks)
Order
Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks)
Class
Elasmobranchii (Sharks and Rays)
Maximum length
38.4
Depth range
607–658 m (1991–2159 ft)
Environment
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 607 - 658 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Western Indian Ocean: northern Tanzania and southern Kenya.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Data deficient (DD)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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