Author: (Gmelin, 1789)
Field Marks:
Mouth well in front of eyes, spineless dorsal fins far posterior on tail, greatly elongated slender precaudal tail, long and low anal fin just anterior to caudal fin, lateral ridges on trunk, dorsal fins without elongated free rear tips, first dorsal origin opposite or just behind pelvic insertions, colour pattern of numerous small dark spots and dashes.
Diagnostic Features:
Body and tail very slender; snout narrowly rounded anteriorly; a lateral ridge present on each side of trunk. Dorsal fins small and rounded, smaller than pelvic fins, and without projecting free rear tips; interdorsal space fairly long, nearly twice first dorsal base; first dorsal origin over or behind pelvic fin bases; origin of anal fin far behind free rear tip of first dorsal, anal fin length from origin to free rear tip about equal hypural caudal lobe from lower caudal origin to free rear tip. A colour pattern of numerous dark brown or blackish spots and dashes on litht brown background.
Geographical Distribution:
Indo-West Pacific: Arabian Sea to India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Taiwan Island, ? Republic of Korea, ? Japan, the Philippines, Solomon Islands.
Habitat and Biology:
A common but little-known inshore bottom shark. Oviparous.
Size:
Maximum total length about 65 cm.
Interest to Fisheries:
Regularly taken in inshore fisheries in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand, and utilized for human food.
Remarks:
Whitley (1939) proposed that Squalus colax Meuschen, 1781 was the earliest name for this species, but reference to that work (Meuschen, 1781) indicates that although colax apparently refers to the Gronow species later named Squalus indicus, it was never proposed in a binomial form but simply listed as colax. Apparently colax is nonbinomial, and is not available for this species.
Type material:
Holotype: None ? Type Locality: "Oceano Indico".