Hemiscyllium michaeli
Hemiscyllium michaeli, the leopard epaulette shark, is a species of bamboo shark in the genus Hemiscyllium.[2] It is a tropical shark known from the shallow ocean in the Milne Bay region of eastern Papua New Guinea.[3] The epaulette sharks of this region have long been confused with H. freycineti, and it was only in 2010 that H. michaeli was described as a separate species by Gerald R. Allen and Christine L. Dudgeon.[3] It can reach a maximum length of 69.5 centimetres (27.4 in).[2]
| Hemiscyllium michaeli | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Order: | Orectolobiformes |
| Family: | Hemiscylliidae |
| Genus: | Hemiscyllium |
| Species: | H. michaeli |
| Binomial name | |
| Hemiscyllium michaeli G. R. Allen & Dudgeon, 2010 | |
 | |
| Known range of the leopard epaulette shark (in blue) | |
Etymology
The shark was named in honor of photographer and aquarist Scott W. Michael, who first brought the difference between this species and H. freycineti to the authors’ attention, and for his contributions of information and photographs to Allen’s research on Indo-Pacific fishes.[4]
References
- VanderWright, W.J.; Allen, G.R.; Derrick, D.; Dudgeon, C.; Erdmann, M.V.; Sianipar, A. (2021). "Hemiscyllium michaeli". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T195438A198886371. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T195438A198886371.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- Hemiscyllium michaeli at www.fishbase.org.
- Gerald R. Allen and Christine L. Dudgeon (2010): Hemiscyllium michaeli, a new species of Bamboo Shark (Hemiscyllidae) from Papua New Guinea, pp. 19-30. Aqua International Journal of Ichthyology 16 (1)
- Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Order ORECTOLOBIFORMES (Carpet Sharks)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 7 March 2022.