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Epaulette Shark

Fish

The epaulette shark, Hemiscyllium ocellatum, is a species of longtailed carpet shark in the family Hemiscylliidae, found in shallow tropical waters off Australia and New Guinea. It takes its name from a large, white-margined black spot behind each pectoral fin that resembles a military epaulette, and it is a small, slender-bodied shark typically under one meter long, with more than half its length made up of the tail. Nocturnal and often found on coral reefs and in tidal pools, it has an unusual tolerance for low oxygen and can survive complete anoxia for up to two hours, and rather than swimming it often walks along the seafloor by wriggling and pushing with its paired fins. It feeds on small bottom-dwelling invertebrates and fish, lays eggs, and is popular in aquariums for its hardiness. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Scientific Name
Hemiscyllium ocellatum 1
Conservation Status
Least Concern 2
Classification
Living or Extinct
Yes 1
Sources
1. Epaulette Shark (Wikidata)
Wikidata
  • Wikidata Q29243 (P225 taxon name)
  • Statements section, conservation status (P141)
    IUCN Red List conservation status (Wikidata property P141): least concern.
View the Source
2. Epaulette Shark (Wikipedia)
Conservation status (IUCN Red List category stated in entity description)
Quote, Conservation status (IUCN Red List category stated in entity description)
lays eggs, and is popular in aquariums for its hardiness. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
View the Source
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