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Australian Wildlife

  Blind Shark (Brachaelurus waddi)





Blind Shark | Brachaelurus waddi photo
Blind Shark, Nelson Bay, NSW, Australia.

Image by David Breneman, - Some rights reserved.    (view image details)







BLIND SHARK FACTS

Description
The Blind Shark has a slightly flattened head, small eyes and a long tail. It has two dorsal fins located close together well back on the body, and a small anal fin just before the tail. It is brown or grey to black above and yellowish below. It often has white spots and may have about eleven darker saddle shaped blotches across the back. It gets its common name from its habit of closing its eyes when caught by anglers.

Size
length to 1.2m

Habitat
found in shallow coastal waters, in shallow tidal pools, at the surf line, rocky shorelines, coral reefs. Found at depths from near the surface to 140m deep.

Food
Feeds on small reef invertebrates including crabs, shrimps, cuttlefish, squid, sea anemones, small fish

Breeding
Ovoviviparous

Range
The Blind Shark is endemic to Australia and found from southern Queensland to southern New South Wales.

Notes
Can be kept in an aquarium. Is capable of living out of water for an extended time.



Classification
Class:Chondrichthyes
Order:Orectolobiformes
Family:Brachaeluridae
Genus:Brachaelurus
Species:waddi
Common Name:Blind Shark