Whitespotted bambooshark
📖 Overview
A common but little-known inshore bottom shark ; found on rocks and coral reefs . Feeds on bony fishes and crustaceans . Oviparous . Utilized for human consumption and used in Chinese medicine . Caught by multiple hook and line and trawl . Caught rarely by demersal gillnet fisheries operating inshore.
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Genus: Nostrils subterminal on snout; pre-oral snout long, mouth closer to eyes than snout tip; eyes and supraorbital ridges hardly elevated; no black hood on head or large spot or spots on sides of body above pectoral fins . Caudal fin with a pronounced subterminal notch but without a ventral lobe . Genus: Nostrils subterminal on snout; pre-oral snout long, mouth closer to eyes than snout tip; eyes and supraorbital ridges hardly elevated; no black hood on head or large spot or spots on sides of body above pectoral fins . Caudal fin with a pronounced subterminal notch but without a ventral lobe . Species: Young and adults with transverse dark bands and numerous white or bluish spots . Body with lateral dermal ridges .: elongated.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Whitespotted bambooshark is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
These sharks feed at night, preying on small fish and invertebrates. They have small teeth that can be used for grasping or crushing prey. Soft prey is grasped when the tips of the teeth sink into the flesh, but the teeth pivot backwards when biting hard prey. This protects the tooth tip and allows the flattened front surface of the teeth to form a continuous plate for crushing crabs. Juvenile sharks need a higher intake of carbon than adults sharks, especially during the wet seasons. White spotted bamboo sharks have an advantage in finding carbon sources because they are benthic predators (meaning they prey on fish near the sea-bottom), as opposed to pelagic sharks like the spadenose shark. That, combined with the fact that these species of sharks have, like most sharks, electroreceptors (ampullae of Lorenzini) along their snout to help them locate prey that is buried in the sand and mud, makes them very efficient users of detrital carbon resources.
🥚 Reproduction
Oviparous, paired eggs are laid. Embryos feed solely on yolk . Hatches at 10-13 cm TL. In Taiwan, hatching occurs in June to August.
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 50 m . Tropical; 35°N - 10°S, 42°E - 135°E West Pacific: India and Maldives east to Papua New Guinea north to Japan, south to Indonesia.
🌿 Ecology
bony fishes and crustaceans (Ref
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Whitespotted bambooshark is an edible species."
- Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
- Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
- Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
- Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
- Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 19.7 g |
| Omega-3 (total) | 94 mg |
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Whitespotted bambooshark has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🔬 Full Nutritional Profile
Per 100g - Raw, per 100g - Source: USDA FoodData Central templates (generic fish average)
📊 Population Dynamics
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? plagiosa | Bennett | - | Synonym |
| Chiloscyllium indicum obscura | Günther | 1870 | Synonym |
| Chiloscyllium indicum plagiosa | Bennett | 1830 | Synonym |
| Chiloscyllium indicum plagiosum | - | - | Synonym |
| Chiloscyllium ornatum | Gray | 1830 | Synonym |
| Chiloscyllium ornatum astigma | Bleeker | 1863 | Synonym |
| Chiloscyllium ornatum melanostigma | Bleeker | 1863 | Synonym |
| Chiloscyllium plagiosum interruptum | Bleeker | 1852 | Synonym |
| Hemiscyllium plagiosum | Bennett | 1830 | Synonym |
| Scyllium ornatum | Gray | 1830 | Synonym |
| Scyllium plagiosum | Anonymous | - | Synonym |
| Scyllium plagiosum interruptum | Bleeker | 1852 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 24 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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