Cephaloscyllium pictum Last, Séret & White, 2008
Painted swellshark

Family:  Scyliorhinidae (Cat sharks), subfamily: Scyliorhininae
Max. size:  71.7 cm TL (male/unsexed); 70.1 cm TL (female)
Environment:  benthopelagic; marine
Distribution:  Western Pacific: Indonesia.
Diagnosis:  This medium-sized species possess the following set of characters: head height 8.7-12.1% TL, its trunk width 12.8-16.8% TL; origin of first dorsal fin is over the centre of pelvic-fin base; prenarial length is 3.1-4.0% TL; preorbital snout length is 1.8-2.1 times the prenarial length, 3.1-3.5 in prepectoral length, 6.5-7.1 in prepelvic length; snout-vent length long, 49.5-50.7% TL; width of nostril 2.5-2.9% TL; eye-spiracle space narrow, 0.5-0.7% TL; pectoral fin medium-sized, its height 11.8-13.2% TL, posterior margin 9.8-12.1% TL; anal fin tall, 3.5-4.7% TL; anal-caudal space 5.5-6.6% TL; precaudal length 77-78% TL; interdorsal space 8.3-8.9% TL; teeth with 3-5 cusps near symphysis of upper jaw; unicuspidate or weakly tricuspidate flank denticles; greatly enlarged denticles on back absent; long adult clasper, outer length 7-8% TL, terminating well short of anal fin, interspace 1.6-1.8% TL; vertebral centra 110-117; moderate tooth count in each jaw 58-78 teeth; upper half of body is very dark, with a weak variegated pattern of spots and blotches, no saddles or are barely detectable; dorsal fins are mostly dark variegated; large, blackish blotch found over the gills; posterior margin of terminal lobe of caudal fin with dark, anteriorly directed, v-shaped marking; upper surface of pelvic fin with a well-defined, blackish median blotch; without dark saddle extending onto caudal peduncle above the origin of ventral lobe of caudal fin; ventral surface piebald with a speckled snout color of juvenile unknown (Ref. 76946).
Biology:  Collected from fish market (Ref. 86282)
IUCN Red List Status: Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 22 November 2019 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:   
 


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