Hemiscyllium ocellatum, Epaulette Shark [+]
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Elasmobranchii
Order Orectolobiformes
Family Hemiscylliidae
Genus Hemiscyllium
species: Hemiscyllium ocellatum [+ITIS +WoRMS]
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Description & Behavior
The epaulette shark, Hemiscyllium ocellatum (Bonnaterre, 1788), is also referred to as the blind shark and the synonym Squalus ocellatus (Grey, 1827) and is one of 12 species of the long-tailed carpetshark family, Hemiscylliidae. It is a small, slender shark with a short snout and nasal barbels. The upper body is yellow to brown speckled with widely-spaced dark brown spots. A large black ocellus (eyespot or eye-like marking) is present above each pectoral fin. They reach a maximum total length about 107 cm.
World Range & Habitat
This species is found on coral reefs and in shallows (tide pools) along the Australian and Papua New Guinean shores between 32°S and the equator. They may also occur in waters around Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Solomon Islands.
Feeding Behavior (Ecology)
Epaulette sharks feed mainly on benthic invertebrates (worms, crabs, shrimp, and small shellfish), and possibly on small fishes. By day this small shark usually remains concealed beneath the coral. At night it roams the reef flats using its muscular leg-like paired fins to clamber about the reef and into crevices looking for prey. The epaulette shark has the amazing ability to survive low oxygen conditions by switching off non-essential brain functions; this is apparently an adaption for hunting in tide pools with low oxygen.
Life History
This species is oviparous. Oviparous animals are animals that lay eggs, with little or no other development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of many fish, amphibians and reptiles, all birds, the monotremes, and most insects and arachnids. Males reach sexual maturity at 60 cm.
Conservation Status/Additional Comments
The epaulette is a very docile shark. Waders and divers can get very close without risk of injury. The speckled carpetshark, Hemiscyllium trispeculare, is a similar species with a similar range (Australian waters, and possibly Indonesia) that grows to a length of 60 cm. The speckled carpetshark also has a large black circular spot above each pectoral fin.
References & Further Research
BioOne ~ CITES ~ Discover Life ~ GBIF ~ Google Scholar ~ ITIS ~ IUCN RedList ~ MarineBio Network ~ NCBI ~ SCIRIS ~ SIRIS ~ Tree of Life Web Project ~ Wikipedia
Last, P.R & Stevens, J.D. - Sharks and rays of Australia, CSIRO Australia, 1994.
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