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Not just a huge collection of Shark Pictures: Elasmodiver.com contains images of sharks, skates, rays, and a few chimaera's from around the world. Elasmodiver began as a simple web based shark field guide to help divers find the best places to encounter the different species of sharks and rays that live in shallow water but it has slowly evolved into a much larger project containing information on all aspects of shark diving and shark photography.

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Shark picture - green sawfish

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BROWNBANDED BAMBOO SHARK - Chiloscyllium punctatum

Brownbanded Bamboo Shark Juvenile

Juvenile brownbanded bamboo shark

 

Adult brownbanded bamboo shark

Adult brownbanded bamboo shark

 

View more Brownbanded Bamboo Shark images  in the Shark Pictures Database

 

Common Names: Brownbanded bamboo shark, banded bambooshark, banded catshark.

 

Latin Name: Chiloscyllium punctatum

 

Family: Hemiscyllidae

 

Identification: Elongated tan/brown body. Lateral groove on each flank running from behind head to base of tail. Juveniles have bold dark bands (without black edging) against a tan background. Dark bands fade in adulthood but often remain faintly visible. Occasionally, a few scattered small black spots on head and torso. Dorsal fins relatively large with concave rear margin. Anal fin set far back at base of tail. Snout rounded. Barbells extend from nares to mouth. Spiracle slightly smaller than, and positioned below and slightly behind eye. Short gill slits. Gill slit margins are noticeably pale.

 

Size: Maximum length 132cm. 11-15cm at birth. Males mature around 82cm. Females mature around 87cm.

 

Habitat: Coral reefs and possibly sandy substrates from intertidal zone to approx 85m. Occasionally found in tide pools. Able to survive for extended periods above water i.e. up to half a day between tides.

 

Abundance and distribution: Indo Pacific. East India, and South East Asia from Japan to Northern Australia.

 

Behavior: Nocturnal. Hides by day in crevices on the reef or under corals. Hunts for bony fishes and crustaceans.

 

Reproduction: Oviparous. Lays up to 153 rounded egg cases. Eggs hatch after around 90 days.

 

Conservation Status: Considered 'Near Threatened' by the IUCN. Within Australia the species is assessed as Least Concern as a portion of its habitat is protected in marine parks and it is not a target species, except perhaps for the aquarium trade. It is an extremely hardy species that would presumably survive as a discard in any trawl bycatch. However, throughout much of the rest of its range, the species is likely to be threatened by overfishing for human consumption, habitat loss due to destructive fishing methods on coral reefs, and collection for the display-aquarium trade. It fails to meet the criteria for Vulnerable due to insufficient data, but is assessed as Near Threatened globally because of concern over the significant impact that these practices must be having on this species in much of its range.

Citation: Bennett, M.B. & Kyne, P.M. (SSG Australia & Oceania Regional Workshop, March 2003) 2003. Chiloscyllium punctatum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. <www.iucnredlist.org>

 

Photographs: Sambawam Island, Philippines.

 

Similar species: The brownbanded bamboo shark partially shares its range with a number of other bamboo sharks, some of which look quite similar especially during the juvenile banded stage.

The grey bamboo shark Chiloscylliam griseum has dorsal fins with straight or convex rear margins.

The Burmese bamboo shark Chiloscylliam burmensis is a more slender animal with dark fin webs on all fins and convex rear margins.

The Indonesian bamboo shark Chiloscylliam hasselti has dusky edged fins with convex rear margins.

 

Reaction to divers: Generally very shy and wary of divers. When discovered under ledges, the brownbanded bamboo shark usually tries to wedge itself deeper. If no better cover is available, it will bolt for another hiding place.

Diving logistics: The brownbanded bamboo shark is a fairly common but rarely seen shark inhabiting many popular dive sites in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia. It is reportedly common in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia; a site with limited cover where multiple animals can be found sharing the same crevices.

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