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Issue: Vol. 1077 No. 1: 7 Nov. 2005
Type: Articles
Published: 2005-11-07
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.1077.1.3
Page range: 37-49
Abstract views: 209
PDF downloaded: 5

Description of a new species of weasel shark, Hemigaleus australiensis n. sp. (Carcharhiniformes: Hemigaleidae)  from Australian waters

Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research, Murdoch University, Murdoch 6150, Perth, Australia
CSIRO Marine Research, GPO Box 1538, Hobart 7001, Australia
Shark Research Centre, Iziko ñ Museums of Cape Town, P.O. Box 61, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
Hemichordata Hemigaleus australiensis Hemigaleidae weasel shark northern Australia

Abstract

A new species of weasel shark from the genus Hemigaleus Bleeker, 1852 (Carcharhiniformes: Hemigaleidae) is described from northern Australia. Hemigaleus australiensis n. sp. is known from the insular and continental shelves of northern Australia from inshore bays to depths of 170 m. The new species differs from the only other member of this genus, Hemigaleus microstoma, in having substantially lower vertebral counts, much higher tooth counts in lower jaw, and a black-tipped second dorsal fin. Hemigaleus australiensis and H. microstoma are also readily separated by differences in morphometrics and sizes at birth and maturity.

References

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