Family BRACHAELURIDAE

Brachaeluridae

© Copyright Ros Poole.

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Introduction

The Brachaeluridae comprise two species that are confined to Australia. Often the species are placed in two genera (Compagno et al. 2005), but one genus is recognised here, following Last & Stevens (1994, 2009). Blind sharks are tropical and subtropical, normally found on the continental shelf in depths of 2 to 150 m. Maximum size is 1.3 m.

Compagno (1973, 1984, 2001) divided the traditionally recognised Orectolobidae into six families (Brachaeluridae, Ginglymostomatidae, Hemiscyllidae, Orectolobidae, Parascyllidae and Stegostomatidae). Compagno's work and that of Nelson (1994) are followed here.

General References

Compagno, L.J.V. 1973. Interrelationships of living elasmobranchs. Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 53(suppl. 1): 15-61 pls 1-2

Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. FAO Species Catalogue. Sharks of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125. Rome : FAO Vol. 4(1) pp. 1-249.

Compagno, L.J.V. 2001. Sharks of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Bullhead, mackerel and carpet sharks (Heterodontiformes, Lamniformes and Orectolobiformes). Rome : FAO, FAO Species Catalogue for Fisheries Purposes No. 1 Vol. 2 269 pp.

Compagno, L.J.V., Dando, M. & Fowler, S. 2005. A Field Guide to the Sharks of the World. London : Collins 368 pp.

Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Canberra : CSIRO Australia 513 pp. 84 pls.

Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. 2009. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Collingwood : CSIRO Publishing Australia 2, 550 pp. [129]

Nelson, J.S. 1994. Fishes of the World. New York : John Wiley & Sons 600 pp.

Common Name References

Compagno, L.J.V. 2001. Sharks of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Bullhead, mackerel and carpet sharks (Heterodontiformes, Lamniformes and Orectolobiformes). Rome : FAO, FAO Species Catalogue for Fisheries Purposes No. 1 Vol. 2 269 pp. [143] (FAO) (Blind Sharks)

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