Reticulated Swellshark

About the Reticulated Swellshark

The reticulated swellshark is a species of deepwater swellshark found in China, Vietnam, and possibly Philippines. They  are found at depths of up to 450 m. Like all catsharks, they’re bottom feeders, have elongated cat-like eyes, and two small dorsal fins set far back. They’re mostly nocturnal and often sleep in groups during the day. Their diet consists of bony fishes and bottom-dwelling crustacean and cephalopods.

They’re oviparous and hatchlings are about 12 cm long but little else is known about their reproduction strategy. They grow to a maximum length of 42 cm.

There is not enough confirmation to assess their population health. Their conservation status is “Data Deficient.”

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Scientific Name Cephaloscyllium fasciatum
OrderGround Sharks - Carcharhiniformes
GenusCephaloscyllium
CitesNot Listed
IUCNData Deficient
ReproductionOviparous
SizeSmall
Litter Size Unknown
Common Length 42.0 cm
Max LenghtNA
Depth Range 205 - 450 m
DistributionNorthwest Pacific, Western Central Pacific
EnvironmentReef-Associated