Persian cat shark

Before the first correct scientific description of Persian feline sharks was given in 1980 ^[3] , they were mistakenly considered gray feline sharks , although there are no exact data on whether the ranges of these species intersect ^[4] .

Persian feline sharks inhabit the northern Indian Ocean . They are distributed from the Persian Gulf to the coastal waters of Pakistan , as well as off the west coast of India . In the Persian Gulf, they are found in large numbers in spring and summer, at which time they rarely come across in the waters of India and Oman . These bottom sharks prefer to stay on coral reefs , in lagoons , on rocky shores or in mangrove estuaries at a depth of 3 to 100 m ^{[2] [5]} .

Persian feline sharks have a thin cylindrical body without lateral protrusions, but there are projections dorsally in front of and between the dorsal fins. The head is devoid of lateral skin folds. The snout is thick and rounded, the pre-oral distance is 3% of the body length. The eyes are dorsolateral. Around the eyes are slightly raised ridges. The movable upper eyelid and peri-orbital depressions are absent. The eyes are rather large, their length is 1.4-1.8% of body length. Behind the eyes there are large squiggles . The gill slits are small, the fifth and fourth gill slits are located close to each other. The nostrils are located at some distance from the tip of the snout and are framed with elongated antennae. The outer edge of the nasal outlets is surrounded by folds and grooves. A small, almost transverse mouth is located in front of the eyes and shifted to the tip of the snout. The lower lip folds are connected to the chin by means of skin folds. The lower and upper teeth do not have clear differences, they are equipped with a central tip and several lateral teeth. There are 26–35 upper and 21–32 lower dentitions ^[4] .

The distance from the tip of the snout to the pectoral fins is 16.1–19.6% of the body length. Pectoral and pelvic fins small, wide and rounded. The first dorsal fin is slightly larger than the second. There are no spikes at their base. The distance between their bases is relatively large, 2 times longer than the base of the first dorsal fin and equal to 8.7–14.5% of the body length. The base of the first dorsal fin is located behind the base of the ventral fins. The height of the first and second dorsal fins is 4.3–8.4% and 4.2–7.1% of the body length, respectively. The base of the long, low and keel-shaped anal fin is located behind the base of the second dorsal fin. The distance from the tip of the snout to the anus is 33.1–36.3% of the body length. The distance between the anus and the tip of the caudal fin is 61–67.6% of the body length. The tail fin is asymmetrical, the upper lobe does not rise above the apex of the body, at its edge there is a ventral notch. Lower lobe undeveloped. Lateral carinae and precaudal fossa on caudal stem absent. The total number of vertebrae is 141-175. The color is even yellow-brown, with young sharks on the tips of their fins there are dim light spots ^[2] .

Persian feline sharks are often found inside underwater crevices and caves. They prey on bony fish, including eel , and invertebrates , including rotapods , shrimps , crabs , gastropods, and echiurids ^{[4] [6]} . These sharks are able to stay long in the air ^[5] . They multiply by laying eggs. The reproduction cycle lasts 6 months. The breeding of Persian feline sharks was observed in captivity: the male grabs the female with its mouth behind the pectoral fin, then inserts one pterygopodium into its cloaca and leaves it for 5-15 minutes. If several males participate in the marriage ritual, they bite competitors for pterygopodia ^[6] . During the year, females lay an average of 33 eggs enclosed in a capsule, 4 each per laying. The interval between laying eggs during one laying is from 20 minutes to 2 days. 7% of eggs are barren ^{[6] [7]} . The capsules in which the eggs are enclosed are equipped with sticky tendrils, allowing them to attach to corals. At a temperature of 24 ° C after 70-80 days, newborns about 10 cm long hatch from them ^{[6] [8]} . Sexual maturity occurs when the length reaches 45-54 cm ^[2] .

Small and harmless Persian feline sharks are suitable for keeping in private aquariums ^[8] . They are caught for the purpose of further sale to amateurs, which most likely does not have a negative impact on the population. Meat and fins can be used as food, however, due to the small size, the sharks caught as by- catch are more often thrown overboard. The greatest danger to Persian feline sharks is the deterioration of habitat conditions: destruction of reefs during bottom trawling, coastal reclamation (for example, creation of artificial islands in the UAE ), construction of Turkish dams in the Tigris - Euphrates river system, drainage of wetlands in Iraq and oil spills . The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assigned this species the status of preservation “Close to a vulnerable position” ^[5] .

• Species Persian cat shark (Eng.) In the World Register of Marine Species ( World Register of Marine Species ).