Author: Garman, 1913
Field Marks:
See diagnostic features.
Diagnostic Features:
Said to be similar to Halaelurus hispidus but differing in a longer snout, smaller eyes, larger labial furrows, cusplets on teeth about as long as median cusp, denticles slender and hooklike, without expanded crowns. second dorsal fin sliohtlv laroer than first. smaller anal fin. and black coloration with 'hoary grey surface' and white tips on some fins (Alcock, 1899).
Geographical Distribution:
Northern Indian Ocean: Arabian Sea.
Habitat and Biology:
A poorly known shark of the continental slope of the Arabian Sea, caught on or near the bottom in water 1134 to 1262 m deep.
Size:
Unknown; the only known specimen was small, presumably less than 30 cm long.
Interest to Fisheries:
None.
Remarks:
Garman (1913) based this species on the Scyllium canescens of Alcock (1896, 1899), which he found to be not conspecific with Scyllium canescens Günther, 1878, from South America. While this is presumably correct, the available descriptive information on the species is so scanty that it is difficult to determine if the species is a member of this genus or some other deepwater scyliorhinid such as Apristurus. The holotype of the species, originally in the Indian Museum, Calcutta, may be lost. Springer (1979) listed it as a species dubium under Halaelurus, which is followed here.
Type material:
Holotype: Indian Museum, Calcutta (Zoological Survey of India) 68/1. Type Locality: Arabian Sea, 1134 to 1262 m depth. |
