Madagascar cat shark [1] ( lat. Chiloscyllium caerulopunctatum ) is a species of sharks, a genus of Asian cat sharks of the same-name family of the group of vobbegongobraznyh . These sharks inhabit the Indian Ocean. The maximum registered size is 67 cm. These sharks have an elongated body of gray-brown color with light blue specks. Not of interest to commercial fishing [2] .
| Madagascar Cat Shark |
| Scientific classification |
|---|
| No rank : | Bilateral symmetric |
|
| International Scientific Name |
|---|
Chiloscyllium caerulopunctatum Pellegrin , 1914 |
| Synonyms |
|---|
Chiloscyllium confusum Dingerkus and DeFino, 1983 |
|
Madagascar feline sharks were considered synonymous with white-spotted feline sharks , but after recent comparisons a preliminary decision was made to recognize them as an independent species [3] . The species is not included in the list of living plate-splayed [4] . The name comes from the words Lat. caeruleus - "blue" lat. punctatum - "covered with dots" [5] .
Madagascar feline sharks live in the northern Indian Ocean off the coast of Madagascar .
Madagascar's feline sharks have a thin cylindrical body, there are lateral protrusions. The head is devoid of lateral skin folds. The snout is thick and consovoid, the pre-oral distance is 3% of the body length. The eyes are dorsolateral. Above the eyes are slightly raised ridges. The movable upper eyelid and peri-orbital depressions are absent. Behind the eyes are sprinklers . The gill slits are small, the fifth and fourth gill slits are located close to each other. The nostrils are located at 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.
The dorsal fins are large, of the same size, triangular in shape, much larger than the pelvic fins. There are no spikes at their base. The base of the first dorsal fin is located behind the base of the ventral fins. The base of the long, low and keel-shaped anal fin is located behind the base of the second dorsal fin. 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 body is painted in dark gray-brown color and covered with light blue specks [2] .
The species is extremely rare. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has not yet assessed the conservation status of this species.