Indian Log Shark (Cephaloscyllium Silasi)

The Indian swellshark is practically unexplored, as only four individuals were caught, one of which became a holotype (male, 36 cm long).

Appearance

Indian puffer sharks have a thick, powerful body that does not have a sharp taper on either side of the pectoral fins. The head is small and very wide. The muzzle is also wide, short, trapezoidal. The mouth is wide enough without labial grooves. The nasal folds are triangular, somewhat elongated.

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The branchial slits are short, gradually decreasing in length from the first to the fifth slit. The first and second slits are located in front of the base of the pectoral fins, the rest after. The eyes are narrow, set high on the head. The pectoral fins are large, rounded at the ends. The first dorsal fin is larger than the second and starts from the middle of the pelvic fins. The second dorsal fin is approximately equal in size to the anal and pelvic fins and is located above the anal fin. The caudal fin is wide, the lobes are unevenly developed. The lower lobe is underdeveloped, but clearly expressed. The upper blade has a characteristic "shark" pennant.

Teeth

The teeth of both jaws are small, multi-vertex (3-5 pieces). The central apex is sharp, elongated, the rest of the apices are short, slightly blunt.

Color

The general background of the body of Indian loggerhead sharks is light brown. The lower part of the head and belly are even lighter in color. On the back, head and tail, there are dark saddle spots of medium width and different lengths (about 7-9 spots). On the back, they are the longest, descending to the sides. At the ends of the fins, there are slight darkening with indistinct boundaries.

The size

The body length of an adult of this species is approximately 36 cm, at least that is the length of the body of the holotype of the Indian loggerhead shark. Since females are larger than males, it can be assumed that the body length of females is 40-43 cm.

Area

The Indian log shark is endemic to the Laccadive Sea (Callam State, India).

Habitat

Big-headed sharks are found on the upper continental slope at a depth of about 300 meters.

Nutrition

Representatives of this shark species feed mainly on invertebrates (including invertebrates and crustaceans) and small fish.

Behavior

They are bottom sedentary predators. Like all puffy sharks, Indian big headed sharks can grow in size by swallowing water or air. This feature helps them escape from predators, as well as survive for about a day without water.

Enemies

The enemies of the Indian loggerhead sharks can be called predatory marine fish, including sharks, as well as numerous parasites. Enemies also include sea snails and snakes, which can probably feed on the eggs of Indian log sharks, as well as the eggs of other egg-laying shark species.

Reproduction

Oviparous fish. The eggs are 85.1 to 86.2 mm long with sinuous antennae on both sides. The surface of the eggs is smooth and glossy.

Economic value

Due to their rarity, Indian big-headed sharks are of no value and do not pose a danger to humans.

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Abundance / Population

Currently, the species Indian loggerhead shark has the status "DD", which means that the data on the abundance of this species is not enough to assign a more accurate conservation status.

Conservation status

Conservation measures have not been developed. The species needs research.

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