Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) >
Orectolobiformes (Carpet sharks) >
Hemiscylliidae (Bamboo sharks)
Etymology: Hemiscyllium: hemi-, from hemisys (Gr.), half, presumably referring to similarity and/ or close affinity to Scyllium (=Scyliorhinus, now in Scyliorhinidae) and/or Chiloscyllium; skylion, Greek for dogfish or small shark. (See ETYFish); ocellatum: Latin for eyed, referring to conspicuous white-ringed black ocellus on flanks above pectoral fins. (See ETYFish).
More on author: Bonnaterre.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 50 m (Ref. 54540). Tropical; 1°S - 34°S, 112°E - 163°E (Ref. 54540)
Western Pacific: New Guinea and northern Australia. Possibly occurring in Malaysia, Sumatra (Indonesia), and the Solomon Islands.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?, range 60 - ? cm
Max length : 107 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 247)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Caudal fin with a pronounced subterminal notch but without a ventral lobe (Ref. 13575). Lateral ocellus not surrounded by large spots; spots present on head in front and below eyes (Ref. 13575).
Commonly found in shallow water of coral reefs (Ref. 6871). Often in tide pools (Ref. 13575). Feeds mainly on benthic invertebrates (Ref. 6871). Oviparous (Ref. 50449). Squirms when captured but cannot readily escape (Ref. 247). Survives well in aquariums (Ref. 6871). Has the ability to survive low oxygen conditions by switching of non-essential brain functions; apparently an adaption for hunting in tide-pools with low oxygen (Ref. 52022).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Oviparous, paired eggs are laid. Embryos feed solely on yolk (Ref. 50449). Prior to copulation, the male gets a good grasp of the female by by biting the body and even the gills (Ref. 49562, 51043).
Compagno, L.J.V., 1984. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 1 - Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/1):1-249. Rome, FAO. (Ref. 247)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 24.1 - 28, mean 26.9 °C (based on 262 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5020 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00407 (0.00181 - 0.00918), b=3.09 (2.89 - 3.29), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.2 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): High vulnerability (64 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 13.8 [2.7, 51.9] mg/100g; Iron = 0.395 [0.094, 1.067] mg/100g; Protein = 19.3 [17.1, 21.3] %; Omega3 = 0.0792 [, ] g/100g; Selenium = 30.9 [9.5, 86.3] μg/100g; VitaminA = 44.7 [15.7, 118.8] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.923 [0.453, 1.889] mg/100g (wet weight);
