Barbeled houndshark [Leptocharias smithii]
Description
This species is the only representative of its genus. It is small, not exceeding 70 centimeters in length, and has a slender body. It can be recognized by its long barbels and a color pattern of dark spots and blotches. The barbeled houndshark is a bottom-dweller found in the shallow inshore waters of the eastern Atlantic, from Mauritania to Angola. It feeds primarily on small fish and invertebrates. Due to its small size and inshore habits, it is vulnerable to coastal fisheries and habitat degradation.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Cartilaginous Fish
Chondrichthyes
|
| Order |
Ground Sharks
Carcharhiniformes
|
| Family |
Barbeled Houndsharks
Leptochariidae
|
| Genus |
Barbeled Houndshark
Leptocharias
|