Draughtsboard shark

The draughtsboard shark is a species of catshark, family Scyliorhinidae, so named for its checkerboard color pattern of dark blotches.

Picture of the Draughtsboard shark has been licensed under a GFDL
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Author: Py1jtp
Permission: GNU Free Documentation License

The Draughtsboard shark lives in the reef-associated, marine, depth range 5 - 690 m environment.

The draughtsboard shark, Cephaloscyllium isabellum, is a catshark of the family Scyliorhinidae endemic to New Zealand. It is found in the southwest Pacific Ocean at depths of between 18 and 220 m. It is commonly known in New Zealand as the Carpet Shark . More

The Draughtsboard Shark is a member of the same shark genus that includes the Balloon and Swell Sharks. Like its close relatives, the Draughtsboard Shark can inflate itself like a pufferfish when threatened by a potential predator. More

Draughtsboard shark has been reported as having the ability to bark like a dog. s938aupper.JPG (134933 bytes) Upper and lower jaw shown s93alower.JPG (143497 bytes) s938a. More

In 1979 and 1987 the food habits of the draughtsboard shark were investigated near Stewart Island, New Zealand. The stomach contents of 132 specimens, collected by commercial fishermen, were examined; 88 of these contained recognizable food. C. isabellum is an opportunistic generalist feeding on a diversity of benthic organisms. More

Common names

Carpet shark in English
Dambordzwelhaai in Dutch (Nederlands)
Draughtsboard shark in English
draughtsbroad shark in English
Holbiche damier in French (français)
Pating in Tagalog
Pejegato ajedrezado in Spanish (español)
Pekapeka in Maori (te reo Māori)
Žralok nafukovací šachovnicový in Czech (česky)
Žralok nafukovací šachovnicový in Czech (česky)
台湾绒毛鲨 in Mandarin Chinese
台灣絨毛鯊 in Mandarin Chinese
头鲛 in Mandarin Chinese
真阴影绒毛鲨 in Mandarin Chinese
真陰影絨毛鯊 in Mandarin Chinese
頭鮫 in Mandarin Chinese

Picture of Cephaloscyllium isabellum has been licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial.
Original source: FishBase
Permission: Some rights reserved
Order : Carcharhiniformes
Family : Scyliorhinidae
Genus : Cephaloscyllium
Species : Cephaloscyllium isabellum
Authority : Bonnaterre, 1788