Chiloscyllium arabicum

Author: Gubanov, 1980

Field Marks:
Mouth well in front of eyes, spineless dorsal fins far posterior on tail, greatly elongated thick precaudal tail, long and low anal fin just anterior to caudal fin, lateral ridges on trunk, dorsal fins with_elongated free rear tips, first dorsal origin opposite or just behind pelvic insertions, no colour pattern.

Diagnostic Features:
Body and tail moderately slender. Snout fairly thick and rounded anteriorly; a lateral ridge present on each side of trunk. Dorsal fins large and angular, somewhat larger than pelvic fins, dorsals with projecting free rear tips; interdorsal space very long, over twice first dorsal base; first dorsal origin over or behind pelvic fin bases; origin of anal fin somewhat behind free rear tip of first dorsal, anal fin length from origin to free rear tip somewhat less than hypural caudal lobe from lower caudal origin to free rear tip. No colour pattern, colour light brown.

Geographical Distribution:
As presently known confined to the "Gulf" between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.

Habitat and Biology:
A common inshore to offshore bottom shark in the "Gulf", especially during the summer, depths from 3 to 100 m.

Size:
Maximum total length 70 cm.

Interest to Fisheries:
Minimal at present, apparently little utilized in the "Gulf" (Gubanov and Schleib, 1980).

Remarks:
This inadequately described species is apparently very close to C. punctatum, but is provisionally recognized here.

Type material:
Holotype: Uncertain. Type Locality- Persian Gulf.

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