Spotted swellshark (Cephaloscyllium maculatum)

Scientific name: Cephaloscyllium maculatum Schaaf-Da Silva & Ebert, 2008

The Spotted swellshark (Cephaloscyllium maculatum) is a marine fish of the family Scyliorhinidae. Native range: Northwest Pacific, off the east coast of Taiwan.

Biology

Vertebrae: 117. This species is distinguished by the following characters: comparatively slender body; short head; pre-first dorsal length 48.9% TL; wide mouth, its width 0.33 in head length; very short snout, moderately flattened, and broadly rounded; anterior nasal flaps are short and triangular, not overlapping mouth posteriorly; large internarial distance; small first dorsal fin, only slightly larger than second dorsal fin; first dorsal-fin origin opposite pelvic-fin insertion; relatively large and broad pectoral and anal fins; color pattern of 8 angular dorsal saddles, including four pre-first dorsal fin saddles; between the paired fins is an angular, open, and dark-outlined lateral blotch.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Cephaloscyllium maculatum
Family
Scyliorhinidae (Cat sharks)
Order
Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks)
Class
Elasmobranchii (Sharks and Rays)
Maximum length
18.8
Environment
Marine; pelagic-neritic
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Northwest Pacific: off the east coast of Taiwan.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless

Sources

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

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