Swellshark
Cephaloscyllium ventriosum
- Least concern
- Card rarity: Common
- Sharks and rays
The swell shark is a catshark in the family Scyliorhinidae. It is found in the tropical and subtropical eastern Pacific Ocean from between central California to southern Mexico, with an additional population off the coast of Chile. They are known to have brown and white spots along with broad heads. As a defense, the swell shark is able to expand to approximately double its regular size by swallowing water. They depend on electrical signals to find prey, camouflaging in rocky crevices.
Classification
- Class
- Chondrichthyes
- Order
- Carcharhiniformes
- Family
- Scyliorhinidae
- Genus
- Cephaloscyllium