| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALIA | CHORDATA | CHONDRICHTHYES | ORECTOLOBIFORMES | BRACHAELURIDAE |
| Scientific Name: | Brachaelurus colcloughi | |||
| Species Authority: | Ogilby, 1908 | |||
Common Name/s:
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| Synonym/s: |
Heteroscyllium colcloughi (Ogilby, 1908)
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| Red List Category & Criteria: | Vulnerable C2a(ii) ver 3.1 | |||
| Year Assessed: | 2009 | |||
| Assessor/s: | Compagno, L.J.V., Last, P. & Stevens, J. | |||
| Reviewer/s: | Musick, J.A. & Fowler, S.L. (Shark Red List Authority) | |||
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Justification: This assessment is based on the information published in the 2005 shark status survey (Fowler et al. 2005). The Bluegrey Carpetshark (Heteroscyllium colcloughi) is a rare to uncommon species, endemic to the east coast of Australia and with a poorly known biology. Fewer than 20 specimens of this small, attractive but poorly known shark are recorded, mostly from inshore waters of Moreton Bay, Queensland. This shark seems to be rare as far as is known, despite coverage of available habitat. As presently known it has an extremely limited geographic and bathymetric range off Queensland and occurs in waters that are heavily utilised by people and which are subjected to intensive fisheries. |
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| History: |
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| Range Description: | Inshore on the continental shelf in shallow water (5 m), of the east Coast of Australia, western South Pacific. Most records are from Moreton Bay near Brisbane, Queensland, with a few records from southern Queensland between Gladstone and Coolangatta, and in north-eastern Queensland off York Peninsula and the Great Barrier Reef (Last and Stevens 1994, Compagno 2001). No subpopulation details; possibly only one population exists. |
| Countries: |
Native:
Australia (New South Wales, Queensland)
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| FAO Marine Fishing Areas: |
Native:
Pacific – western central
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| Range Map: |
(click map to view full version)
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| Population Trend: |
Unknown
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| Habitat and Ecology: | An ovoviviparous species, with 6?8 pups per litter. Term foetuses are 174?186 mm; size at birth is probably 17?18 cm. Maximum size is at least 75.5 cm. Pregnant females have been recorded at 65.8?75.5cm and males are adolescent at about 48.2?51.6 cm. Age at maturity, average reproductive age and longevity are all unknown (Compagno 2001). The behavioural ecology of this shark needs to be investigated. Studies should include underwater census and tagging. |
| Systems: | Marine |
| Major Threat(s): | Bluegrey Carpetsharks are caught as limited inshore bycatch of fisheries and exploited at low levels for the marine aquarium trade. No information is available on trends in numbers or range, but they are not found in quantity at any locality despite reasonable survey coverage. Habitat degradation could become a problem as human usage of coastal waters increases, since it has a restricted distribution to areas heavily utilized by humans. |
| Conservation Actions: | Only limited areas of its habitat are protected on the Great Barrier Reef, and the species is not directly protected. |
| Citation: | Compagno, L.J.V., Last, P. & Stevens, J. 2009. Brachaelurus colcloughi. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 08 February 2012. |
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