Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) >
Orectolobiformes (Carpet sharks) >
Orectolobidae (Carpet or nurse sharks)
Etymology: Eucrossorhinus: eu (Gr.), very; Crossorhinus (=Orectolobus), previous genus, from krossos (Gr.), fringe or tassel, referring to tassel of dermal lobes fringing the head, and rhinus, an ancient name for sharks, from rhine (Gr.), rasp, alluding to their rasp-like skin, or rhinos, snout, referring to “lobe-like attachments from the nose” (translation, from Müller & Henle’s 1837 description of Crossorhinus) (See ETYFish); dasypogon: dasys (Gr.), hairy; pogon (Gr.), beard, referring to dense beard-like tassel of dermal lobes fringing the head (See ETYFish).
More on author: Bleeker.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 2 - 50 m (Ref. 106604). Deep-water; 1°N - 23°S, 115°E - 155°E
Indo-West Pacific: eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and northern Australia (including Barrow Island, Western Australia). Questionable occurrence in Malaysia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 366 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 90102); common length : 180 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 90102)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Body with a reticular pattern of narrow dark lines (Ref. 13577). Caudal fin with its upper lobe hardly elevated above the body axis, with a strong terminal lobe and subterminal notch but no ventral lobe (Ref. 13577).
A little-known shark (Ref. 247) found on the continental shelf and offshore reefs (Ref. 6871). Probably feeds on bottom fishes and invertebrates (Ref. 13577, 43278); also known to eat nocturnal teleost fishes such as squirrelfish and soldierfish (Holocentridae) and sweepers (Pempheridae) (Ref. 43278). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 50449). Might bite in self-defense or when mistaking a human foot for its usual prey (Ref. 247). Its tough skin sometimes used for leather (Ref. 13577). The maximum length of 366 cm TL reported for this species is uncertain (Ref. 247, 90102).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Ovoviviparous, embryos feed solely on yolk (Ref. 50449).
Compagno, L.J.V., 1984. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 1 - Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/1):1-249. Rome, FAO. (Ref. 247)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Human uses
Fisheries: bycatch
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 26.2 - 28.8, mean 27.8 °C (based on 294 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 1.0002 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.0 ±0.60 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Very high vulnerability (90 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 1.57 [0.18, 7.23] mg/100g; Iron = 0.125 [0.027, 0.423] mg/100g; Protein = 19.4 [17.1, 21.6] %; Omega3 = 0.0936 [, ] g/100g; Selenium = 7.92 [2.19, 30.75] μg/100g; VitaminA = 13.4 [2.3, 84.0] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.248 [0.114, 0.523] mg/100g (wet weight);
