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Eucrossorhinus dasypogon

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
ANIMALIA CHORDATA CHONDRICHTHYES ORECTOLOBIFORMES ORECTOLOBIDAE

Scientific Name: Eucrossorhinus dasypogon
Species Authority: (Bleeker, 1867)
Common Name/s:
English – Tasselled Wobbegong

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria: Near Threatened ver 3.1
Year Published: 2003
Assessor/s: Pillans, R. (SSG Australia & Oceania Regional Workshop, March 2003)
Reviewer/s: Fowler, S., Kyne, P.M., Cavanagh, R.D. & White, W.T. (Shark Red List Authority)
Contributor/s:
Justification:
A little known, but possibly common, reef wobbegong with a wide distribution across northern Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. In Australia, there are no targeted fisheries and it does not appear in commercial shark or trawl fisheries. A considerable section of its habitat is protected in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. However, throughout the rest of its range this species is threatened by extensive coral reef habitat destruction (pollution and dynamite fishing), as well as expanding fisheries. This wobbegong is assessed as Near Threatened due to suspected significant population declines having occurred and predicted to continue within a large proportion of its range.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description: Is found inshore and on coral reefs, where it is commonly seen on coral heads and in reef channels and faces (Compagno 2001). Commonly seen on the Great Barrier Reef. This primarily nocturnal shark is thought to have a small home range with several retreats within the area (Compagno 2001).
Countries:
Native:
Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia); Indonesia; Papua New Guinea
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:
Native:
Indian Ocean – eastern; Pacific – western central
Range Map: Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population: A little known but possibly common tropical inshore and offshore bottom dwelling shark.
Population Trend: Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology: Little is known about the biology of this species, thought to be ovoviviparous.

Reproductive periodicity: Unknown
Size at birth: 20 cm total length (TL)
Average litter size: Unknown
Size male maturity: a 117 cm TL animal was mature
Size female maturity: Unknown cm TL
Max size: to at least 125 cm TL
Growth rates: Unknown cm.y-1

(Last and Stevens 1994)
Systems: Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s): Threats within Australia are likely to be minimal, no target fisheries and this species is not reported in bycatch. Outside of Australian waters it will be threatened by habitat destruction as well as overfishing. For example, the threats in Papua will include extensive dynamite fishing (especially in Biak) and heavy fishing pressures. There is also a possibility that coral removal for building material may impact on available habitat for this species (W. White, pers.comm.).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions: There are currently no conservation measures in place for this species.
Citation: Pillans, R. (SSG Australia & Oceania Regional Workshop, March 2003) 2003. Eucrossorhinus dasypogon. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 May 2013.
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