Family : Hemiscylliidae (Bamboo sharks)
Order : Orectolobiformes (carpet sharks)
Class : Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays)
Fishbase Name : Whitespotted bambooshark
Fish Name : Chiloscyllium plagiosum
Max size : 83.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 43278); 95 cm TL (female); max. reported age: 25 years
Environment : reef-associated
Climate : tropical; 35°N - 10°S
Global Importance : fisheries: commercial
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be
Distribution : Indo-West Pacific: India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Viet Nam, China, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and probably Malaysia. Reported from Korea (Ref. 45255).
Diagnosis : Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0. Genus: Nostrils subterminal on snout; pre-oral snout long, mouth closer to eyes than snout tip; eyes and supraorbital ridges hardly elevated; no black hood on head or large spot or spots on sides of body above pectoral fins (Ref. 43278). Caudal fin with a pronounced subterminal notch but without a ventral lobe (Ref. 13575). Genus: Nostrils subterminal on snout; pre-oral snout long, mouth closer to eyes than snout tip; eyes and supraorbital ridges hardly elevated; no black hood on head or large spot or spots on sides of body above pectoral fins (Ref. 43278). Caudal fin with a pronounced subterminal notch but without a ventral lobe (Ref. 13575).Species: Young and adults with transverse dark bands and numerous white or bluish spots (Ref. 13575, 43278). Body with lateral dermal ridges (Ref. 43278, 13575).
Biology : A common but little-known inshore bottom shark (Ref. 247). Feeds on bony fishes and crustaceans (Ref. 43278). Oviparous (Ref. 43278, 50449). Utilized for human consumption (Ref. 247) and used in Chinese medicine (Ref. 12166). Caught by multiple hook and line and trawl (Ref. 47736). Caught rarely by demersal gillnet fisheries operating inshore (Ref.58048)
Threatened : Dangerous:
Dangerous : harmless
Coordinator :
Main Ref : Compagno, L.J.V.. 1984. (Ref. 247)
India country information
Common Names : [ No common name ]
Status : native
Salinity : marine
Uses : no uses
