Mandarin dogfish
Mandarin mustache dogfish ( Cirrhigaleus barbifer )
The Mandarin mustache dogfish ( Cirrhigaleus barbifer ) is one of three species of the genus Cirrhigaleus within the spiny dogfish ( Squalidae ). The range of the species includes several separate areas in the western Pacific. Only in 2007, the Southern Mandarin mustache dogfish was accrued from this type, so that the distribution areas are attributed to off the east coast Australia and New Zealand today to the new type.
Appearance and characteristics
The Mandarin mustache dogfish is a medium sized shark with a known maximum length of at least 122 centimeters, the average length is about 90 to 110 centimeters. He has a stocky body with a broad, flat head. Striking the two long barbels are starting at the nostrils and up to the mouth.
He has a gray-brown back color and a lighter belly, the skin is compared to other shark species very coarse. The trailing edges of all fins are white without further drawing. Confusion can occur only with the Rauhaut dogfish (C. asper ), but the significantly shorter baleen owns and occurs mainly along the coasts of Africa and the Gulf of Mexico. Compared to the Southern Mandarin mustache dogfish these species differs mainly by external hardly recognizable anatomical and molecular biological characteristics, a distinction can therefore be made only on the basis of the observation area or laboratory tests.
It has no anal fin and two dorsal fins with the regulatory typical spines before the dorsal fin. The first dorsal fin starts behind the end of the pectoral fins and slightly larger than the second dorsal fin. The pectoral fins are large and broadly triangular. Like all species of the family owned pets five gill slits and have a spray hole behind the eye.
Dissemination
The range of the species includes several separate areas in the western Pacific. He comes to the south of Japan before and in the central Pacific Ocean off, which also specified for this shark in literature distribution area in the reef areas off the east coast of Australia and around New Zealand is now slammed the Southern Mandarin mustache dogfish newly described.
Way of life
The Mandarin mustache dogfish live in coastal areas over the continental shelf and occurs in depths of 140 to 640 meters. He lives mainly near the ground or directly on the seabed. Information about its diet does not exist, it is assumed that the long barbels contain chemoreceptors capable of detecting prey. For humans it is not dangerous.
He is like other species of the order viviparous, in which so far only documented scope of the progeny ten young sharks were present. Sexual maturity attain the sharks with a length of 110-115 centimeters.
System
The genus Cirrhigaleus currently consists of two or three kinds: the Mandarin mustache dogfish and the Rauhaut dogfish (C. asper ) as a recognized species and the Southern Mandarin mustache dogfish described in 2007 (C. australis), the occurrence of the so far as Mandarin mustache - dogfish combined populations off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, and therefore extends the former reduces to the North Pacific deposits.
Endangering
The Mandarin mustache dogfish is classified in the IUCN Red List as "low risk" ( " near threatened " ), as it is in its distribution area rarely seen or caught as by-catch in fisheries.