Arabian Carpetshark
Chiloscyllium arabicum
- Near threatened
- Card rarity: Uncommon
- Sharks and rays
The Arabian carpetshark is a species of carpet shark in the family Hemiscylliidae that is known for inhabiting coral reefs and other shallow shallow habitats from the Persian Gulf to the coast of India. Reaching 78 cm (31 in) long, this shark is characterized by a slender, plain brown body, and by two dorsal fins with straight trailing margins, the second being smaller but longer-based than the first. The Arabian carpetshark feeds on bony fishes and invertebrates. Reproduction is oviparous with an annual cycle; females deposit egg capsules four at a time and the young hatch after 70–80 days. This small shark is often captured as bycatch but rarely used by humans as food. It has been assessed as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as there is increasing fishing pressure and habitat degradation within its range.
Classification
- Class
- Chondrichthyes
- Order
- Orectolobiformes
- Family
- Hemiscylliidae
- Genus
- Chiloscyllium