Stegostoma fasciatum
Scientific Name:-
Stegostoma fasciatumCommon Name:-
Zebtra Shark / leopard shark / variegated shark
Malayalam Name:-
Zebra Sravu
Category:-
Fishes
Status:-
Classified as Vulnerable in IUCN Redlist of species.
Description:-
Body cylindrical, with prominent ridges on sides. Head broad conical, and somewhat flattened, without lateral flaps of skin, snout very broadly rounded or truncated; eyes laterally situated on head, without subocular pockets; spiracles subequal in size to eyes but not below them; gill slitssmall, fifth overlapping fourth; internal gill slits without filter screens; nostrils with short pointed barbels but without circumnarial folds and grooves; mouth moderately large, subterminal on head, and transverse, without a symphyseal groove on chin; teeth not strongly differentiated in jaws, with a medial cusp, lateral cusplets and weak labial root lobes; 28 to 33/22 to 32. Caudal peduncle without lateral keels or precaudal pits. Firstdorsal larger than second, with brigin expanded well ahead of pelvic origins and insertion about over the pelvic bases; pectoral fins rather large, broad and rounded, much larger than pelvic fins, with fin radials partly into finweb but falling well short of its distal edge; pelvic fins smaller than firstdorsal but larger than second dorsal and as large or larger than anal fin; anal fin larger than second dorsal, with its origin about opposite second dorsal midbase or insertion; anal fin with broad base and angular apex, separated by a space or narrow notch much less than base length from lower caudal origin; caudal fin with its upper lobe at a low angle above the body axis, about half as long as the entire shark, with a strong terminal lobe and subterminal notch but no ventral lobe. Supraorbital crests present on cranium, these laterally expanded. Valvular intestine of ring type. Colour pattern of dark saddles in young, changing to dark spots in adults
Threats:-
In Kerala rarely caught in trawl nets.
Remark:-
Found rarely in the coastal waters of Kerala coast. Recorded in fishing harbours as bycatch of trawlers.
Habitat:-
Marine; Occurring along continental and insular shelf up to a depth of 230 feet (70 m)
Synonyms:-
Scyllia quinquecornuatum van Hasselt, 1823
Scyllium heptagonum Rüppell, 1837
Squalus cirrosus Gronow, 1854
Squalus fasciatus Hermann, 1783
Squalus longicaudus Gmelin, 1789
Squalus pantherinus Kuhl & van Hasselt, 1852
Squalus tigrinus Forster, 1781
Squalus varius Seba, 1759
Stegostoma carinatum Blyth, 1847
Stegostoma tigrinum (Forster, 1781)
Stegostoma tigrinum naucum Whitley, 1939
Stegostoma varium Garman, 1913
Stegostoma varium (Seba, 1759)
References:-
Bailly, N. (2015). Nebrius ferrugineus (Lesson, 1831). In: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2015) FishBase. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=220030 on 2015-06-03Compagno, L.J.V., Dando, M. and Fowler, S.L. 2005. Sharks of the World. Harper Collins.
Compagno, L.J.V. 2001. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Volume 2. Bullhead, Mackerel and Carpet Sharks (Heterodontiformes, Lamniformes and Orectolobiformes). FAO, Rome.
Venkataraman, K., John Milton, M.C. and Raghuram, K.P. 2003. Handbook on Sharks of Indian Waters: Diversity, Fishery status, Trade and Conservation. Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.