Atelomycterus baliensis White, Last & Dharmadi, 2005
Bali catshark
Atelomycterus baliensis
photo by Last, P.

Family:  Atelomycteridae (Coloured catsharks)
Max. size:  47.4 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; marine
Distribution:  Western Pacific: known only from the Indonesian island of Bali.
Diagnosis:  A relatively small (max. size 474 mm TL) Atelomycterus with the following combination of characters: relatively short preoral length, 4.0-4.6% T; short interdorsal space, 11.6-12.9% TL; high pectoral-pelvic to pelvic-anal ratio 1.28-1.48; dorsal fins weakly falcate, with posterior margins vertical or sloping anteroventrally from fin apices; prebranchial denticles strongly tricuspid with narrow, elongate medial cusps; claspers of adults short, not stubby, not tapering sharply distally, outer length 8.3-9% TL, base width 5.4-6.3% of outer length; clasper glans covering more than half of clasper; cover rhipidion relatively narrow; rhipidion large, relatively low, and only partly concealed by cover rhipidion and exorhipidion; exorhipidion small with proximal end well behind distal end of cover rhipidion; total vertebral centra 154-163, precaudal centra 101-106; dorsal surface with well-defined dark saddles consisting mainly of four, partly coalesced, diffuse-edged, dark brown blotches; white partly coalesced, diffuse-edged, dark brown blotches; white spots absent from body and rarely on fins; inner margin of pale tips of dorsal fins orientated almost vertically; upper pectoral fin lacking a broad, sharply defined whitish margin.
Biology:  Biology unknown; presumably reef-dwelling, inhabiting holes and crevices on reefs, like other related catsharks. Presumably oviparous. Diet probably dominated by small invertebrates . Caught irregularly by fisheries operating over coral reefs. Utilized for its meat but of limited value (Ref.58048).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 20 May 2020 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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