tiki Ryan Photographic - Hemiscyllidae - Bamboo and Epaulette sharks

 


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Family Hemiscyllidae

Fishbase has little to say about this western tropical Pacific family. There are 17 species in 2 genera. The largest reaches a meter in length. Unlike most sharks they tend to "walk" along the bottom using their pelvic and anal fins as "legs". They apparently feed on bottom living invertebrates and terminally stupid fish. They can swim quickly when threatened, albeit over a short distance. Our dive master disturbed one during a night dive and it astonished us with its acceleration as it disappeared from view.


Hemiscyllium freycineti Raja epaulette shark

Hemiscyllium freycineti juvenile Raja epaulette shark Raja Ampat IMG_9832

Hemiscyllium freycineti juvenile Raja epaulette shark Raja Ampat IMG_9832

Hemiscyllium freycineti juvenile Raja epaulette shark Raja Ampat IMG_9834

Hemiscyllium freycineti juvenile Raja epaulette shark Raja Ampat IMG_9834

Hemiscyllium freycineti Raja epaulette shark Raja Ampat IMG_1329

Hemiscyllium freycineti Raja epaulette shark Raja Ampat IMG_1329


Invertebrates

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