The brown-striped feline shark [1] ( lat. Chiloscyllium punctatum ) is a species of shark, a genus of Asian feline sharks of the same family of the Wobbegong -like order . These sharks live in the Indian and Pacific Ocean to a depth of 85 m. The maximum recorded size is 121 cm [2] . These sharks have an elongated body of even brown color. The diet consists of bony fish and invertebrates . They breed by laying eggs. Get along well in captivity. Of moderate interest for commercial fishing [3] .
| Brown feline shark |
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| Scientific classification |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| Gender: | Brown feline shark |
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| International scientific name |
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Chiloscyllium punctatum JP Müller & Henle , 1838 |
| Synonyms |
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Chiloscyllium indicum (not Gmelin, 1879)
Chiloscyllium margaritiferum Bleeker, 1863
Chyloscyllium punctatum Müller & Henle, 1838
Hemiscyllium punctatum (Müller & Henle, 1838)
Hemiscyllium punctaturn (Müller & Henle, 1838)
Scyliorhinus russellianus Blainville, 1816
Scyllium punctatum Kuhl & van Hasselt, 1823
Squalus russellianus Blainville, 1816 |
| Area |
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| Security status |
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Close to vulnerableIUCN 3.1 Near Threatened : 41872 |
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The species was first scientifically described in 1838 [4] . In the old scientific literature, these sharks were often mistakenly identified with white-spotted feline sharks , gray feline sharks, and Chiloscyllium hasseltii [5] . The holotype is lost. The neotype is a female 35.2 cm long, caught off the coast of Java [3] . The specific name comes from the word lat. punctatum - "covered with dots" [6] .
Brown-striped cat sharks live in the eastern Indian Ocean and in the western Pacific. They are common off the coast of the Andaman Islands , Malaysia , Singapore , Thailand , Indonesia (Java, Sumatra , Sulawesi , Komodo ), Vietnam , China , Taiwan , Japan , the Philippines , off the southern coast of New Guinea and in northern Australia (Northern Territories, Western Australia, Queensland ). Are these sharks found in coastal waters on coral reefs? in particular, in tidal reservoirs , on the coastline , but can swim to a depth of 85 m [3] .
The brown-striped cat sharks have a thin cylindrical body without lateral and dorsal protrusions. The head is devoid of lateral folds of the skin. The snout is rounded. The eyes are dorsolateral. Around the eyes there are slightly raised crests. There is no mobile upper eyelid and periorbital hollows. The eyes are rather large, their length is 1.5-2.4% of the body length. Behind the eyes there are large splashes . The gill slits are small, the fifth and fourth gill slits are located close to each other. The nostrils are framed by antennae. The outer edge of the nasal outlet 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 labial folds are connected to the chin through skin folds. The lower and upper teeth do not have clear differences, are equipped with a central tip and several lateral teeth [3] .
The distance from the tip of the snout to the pectoral fins is 16.2-18.4% of the body length. The pectoral and ventral fins are rather large and rounded. The first dorsal fin is slightly larger than the second. Spikes at their base are absent. The distance between their bases is small, slightly exceeds the length of the base of the first dorsal fin and is 9.1-12.7% of the body length. The base of the first dorsal fin begins at the mid-base of the ventral fins. The height of the first and second dorsal fins is 6.8–9.9% and 6.4–8.4% of the body length, respectively. The base of a long, short, and keel-shaped anal fin is located behind the base of the second dorsal fin. The base length of the anal fin is less than 6 times its height. The distance from the tip of the snout to the anus is 32.7–35.8% of the body length. The distance between the anus and the tip of the caudal fin is 61.1–64.4% of the body length. Caudal fin asymmetrical; ventral notch at the edge of the upper elongated lobe. The lower lobe is undeveloped. Lateral carinae and precaudal fossa on caudal peduncle absent. The total number of vertebrae is 136-170. The number of turns of the spiral intestinal valve 20. Coloring is even yellow-brown, the body of young sharks is covered with dark stripes and black dots [3] .
Young brown-haired cat shark.
Brown-striped cat sharks lead a solitary nocturnal lifestyle. They are often found inside underwater crevices and caves. They prey on bony fish and benthic invertebrates. These sharks are able to stay in the air for up to 12 hours, which allows them to survive in the coastal strip. They reproduce by laying round eggs 11x5 cm in size. The length of newborns is 13-17 cm. The maximum recorded size is 121 cm. Sexual maturity in males and females occurs when they reach a length of 68-76 cm and 62.9 cm, respectively. In the gills of these sharks, isopod crustaceans are often parasitic [3] . The maximum life expectancy in captivity is about 25 years [5] .
Brown shark eggs enclosed in capsules.
The species is an object of commercial fishing in the waters of India, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. In Australia, they are also often caught offshore and hooked. The meat is eaten. Brown-striped cat sharks are suitable for keeping in private aquariums where they are able to breed. The greatest danger to this species is the deterioration of habitat conditions, especially the destruction of reefs. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assigned this species a conservation status of “Close to Vulnerability” [7] .
