Barbelthroat Carpetshark

fieldmarks: Barbels on throat, nasoral grooves, mouth in front of eyes, six or possibly ten diffuse saddle marks on dorsal surface, saddles above abdomen rounded and continuing above pelvic-fin bases, not C-shaped, head length three times first dorsal-fin base. Head length 3.0 times first dorsal-fin base. Anal-caudal space 7.7% of total length, 43% of head length. Second dorsal-fin base equal to or longer than anal-caudal space. Precaudal vertebral count 108, total count 154. Six to possibly ten indistinct pairs of saddle markings on sides of back and tail; an elongated rounded saddle on each side of back between bases of pectoral and pelvic fins and extending over pelvic-fin bases.

Western North Pacific: South China Sea off the coast of China between China and Luzon, Philippines, and in the Gulf of Tonkin off Viet Nam. Nominal from Okinawa (Uchida, 1982) but record uncertain, possibly Cirrhoscyllium japonicum?

The adult female holotype is 335 mm long while a Vietnamese female (maturity stage unknown) is 306 cm long (Kharin, 1987).

Outer continental shelf, South China Sea on bottom at 183 to 190 m depth. A little-known and presumably rare or uncommon tropical bottom shark. Probably oviparous, judging from large nidamental glands. Food habits unknown.

Interest to fisheries unknown, probably taken as discarded bycatch of offshore trawl fisheries in the area. Conservation Status : Conservation status unknown.

Genus: pair of barbels on throat; color pattern of dark saddles, no light or dark spots (Ref. 43278). Species: Six or possibly ten diffuse saddle marks on dorsal surface, saddles above abdomen rounded and continuing above pelvic-fin bases, not C-shaped, head length three times first dorsal-fin base (Ref. 43278). Gill region without collar marking (Ref. 13572).

Oviparous, paired eggs are laid. Embryos feed solely on yolk (Ref. 50449).

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 0

Found on the continental shelf, offshore on or near the bottom (Ref. 247). Food habits unknown (Ref. 13572). Oviparous (Ref. 43278, 50449). Interest to fisheries unknown (Ref. 13572). Probably taken as discarded by-catch of offshore trawl fisheries in the area (Ref. 43278).

The barbelthroat carpetshark (Cirrhoscyllium expolitum) is a carpetshark of the family Parascylliidae found in the South China Sea between Luzon in the Philippines and China, between latitudes 23°N and 10°N, at depths between 180 and 190 m. Its length is up to 34 cm.

Reproduction is oviparous.