Draughtboard Shark

Cephaloscyllium laticeps

Sea Life Endemic IUCN: Least Concern

About

Brownish to greyish swell shark with a broad dark saddle behind the eyes, and a dense array of irregular very dark spots, blotches and saddles, sometimes with paler flecks on the body. Small juveniles have small dark spots and faint saddle-like blotches, and larger juveniles have darker saddles only.

When disturbed or threatened, swell sharks increase their size by inflating their stomachs with air or water in an attempt to avoid predation

Size

Can grow to around 1.5m in length

Habitat

Found in shallow waters on reef or weed structure and along the continental shelf to a depth of around 650m

Distribution

Southern Australia from WA to NSW including around Tasmania
References & citations (3)
  1. Walker, T.I. & White, W.T. 2016. Cephaloscyllium laticeps. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016 (accessed 2021-09-22 14:03:33)
  2. William T. White & Dianne J. Bray, Cephaloscyllium laticeps in Fishes of Australia (accessed 2021-09-22 14:03:33)
  3. The Atlas of Living Australia (accessed 2021-09-22 14:03:33)

Header image: (CC BY-NC 4.0) © Sascha Schulz

Disclaimer: A lot of work goes into making sure identifications, descriptions, sizes, habitats and distribution details are as accurate as possible — but this information is ever-changing, so no guarantee is offered that it is correct or currently valid. Treat it as a guide and do a little of your own research for the latest word. Feedback and corrections are always welcome.