Ocellated Angelshark

fieldmarks: An angelshark with weakly fringed nasal barbels and anterior nasal flaps, and no ocelli on body. Anterior nasal barbels strongly fringed; posterior margin of anterior nasal flaps between nasal barbels and tips strongly fringed; distance from eye to spiracle less than 1.5 times eye diameter; dermal folds on sides of head with 2 or 3 prominent triangular lobes. Origin of first dorsal fin usually about opposite pelvic rear tips; pectoral fins rather long and fringes low, free rear tips narrowly subangular. Large spines present on midline of back and tail from head to dorsal fins and between the fin bases, also on snout and above frontal view of head eyes; lateral trunk denticles pyramidal, not hooked. No ocelli on body

Western North Pacific: Taiwan Straits.

Maximum total length at least 63 cm (holotype and only known specimen).

A little-known angelshark from Taiwan Island waters, details of habitat and biology unknown.

None at present.

Ovoviviparous, embryos feed solely on yolk (Ref. 50449).

Known only from two specimens. Ovoviviparous (Ref. 50449). Other details of habitat and biology unknown.

fisheries: of no interest

Squatina tergocellatoides, Chen 1963 : 99, Fig 28, valid, holotype (unique): THUP 00348 (Eschmeyer, 2005). Figure 6.

Common name. Ocellated angel shark

Etymology. Named in reference to the patterns of ocelli on the pectoral fins.

Distribution. Endemic to the WNP including the south China Sea, and waters surrounding northern Taiwan (Compagno et al., 2005a), and northwestern Malaysia (Yano et al., 2005).

Remarks. Additional pictures from Yano et al. (2005) confirm that the coloration and dorsal origin posterior of the pelvic fin tips are diagnostic for this species. There are two other features that are potential characters for S. tergocellatoides present in photographs but require further confirmation. Examination of photographs of fresh S. tergocellatoides specimens suggests that the caudal fin has a unique triangular shape to WNP squatinids in the ventral lobe of the caudal fin. Additionally, Compagno (in press) suggested that the nasal barbels are particularly ornate in S. tergocellatoides , which also is evident in photographs from Yano et al. (2005). Due to a lack of specimens, these characters could not be confirmed in this study.

Attempts to examine or obtain photographs the S. tergocellatoides holotype for examination were unsuccessful; the holotype (THUP 00348) is believed to be lost.

Discussion

Of the four reported WNP squatinids, Squatina japonica and S. tergocellatoides are distinct from the other two WNP species in that their pelvic fin tips do not reach the origin of the first dorsal fin base. Unique characters distinguishing S. japonica and S. tergocellatoides from one another include a prominent row of midback thorns and unique dorsal coloration (Fig 4) for S. japonica and the distinct paired ocellus pattern (Fig 6), which is exclusive to S. tergocellatoides . Additional distinguishing characters for S. tergocellatoides are the fringing on the nasal barbels and the caudal fin shape, but more photographs or specimens should be examined to confirm these characters.

本種原先發表自臺灣海峽，已知分布地點為南中國海附近海域，包含馬來西亞及越南。

大型個體會在市場販售，但不具經濟規模。

體背部紅棕色，佈滿金黃色小斑點，胸鰭基部、腹鰭末端及背鰭兩側具有一對大黑斑，兩背鰭前方基部有一大黑斑。與/Squatina formosa/及/Squatina nebulosa/主要差異在腹鰭未向前延伸達背鰭起點。與/Squatina japonica/主要差異在體背部各鰭有大黑斑以及體背部中央至尾部不具有棘狀齒。

底棲性，推測應該在淺水域不超過200公尺。

The ocellated angelshark (Squatina tergocellatoides) is an angelshark of the family Squatinidae found only from the Taiwan Straits in the western Pacific between latitudes 28 and 22°N and in northern Malaysia. Its length is up to 63 cm.

Reproduction is ovoviviparous.