Heterodontus portusjacksoni

(Meyer, 1793)

Vernacular names
English : Port Jackson shark
French : Requin-dormeur de Port Jackson

Classification
Class : Elasmobranchii
Order : Heterodontiformes
Family : Heterodontidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Adults can grow to 1,65 m. Mouth located low at tip of snout and protrusive. Dorsal fins quite short with big spine at base and rounded tip. Coloration grey to grey-brown with harness-like black bands on flanks and back. Unmistakable.

Range and habitat
The species occurs along the coasts of southern Australia, from Houtman Abrolhos Islands to Moreton Bay and Tasmania. One record from New Zealand. Lives in coastal coral and rocky reefs on continental shelf, to 275 meters deep.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species has a large range and remains common so far. Although it is caught as bycatch, this doesn’t seem to be a threat at this time.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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