List of sharks and batoids found from territorial waters of Sri Lanka

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Sri Lanka is a tropical island situated close to the southern tip of India. The fish fauna within the country and around the island is really amazing, when considering the small land.

Class Chondrichthyes - Cartilage fishes

Among the marine fishes, sharks and batoids (rays and skates) form a considerable diversity.^[1] A preliminary checklist of Sharks around Sri Lanka was compiled by marine biologist, ornithologist, astronomer and well known diver Rex I. De Silva in 1985. It is cited as the first most comprehensive catalogue to Sri Lankan cartilage fishes. On 2016 May, he published Illustrated guide of Sharks of Sri Lanka. According to De Silva, there are 60 sharks species and 30 rays and skates found around the coast of Sri Lanka.^[2][3]

Sharks are a group of fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimorpha (or Selachii) and are the sister group to the rays.

The following list of shark species recorded from the territorial waters of Sri Lanka.

Order Hexanchiformes - Primitive sharks

Family Hexanchidae - Cow sharks

1. Hexanchus griseus (Bonaterre, 1788). Bluntnose sixgill shark.

2. Notorynchus cepedianus (Peron, 1907). Broadnose sevengill shark. This species is unconfirmed.

Order Squaliformes

Family Centrophoridae - Gulper sharks

3. Centrophorus squamosus (Bonaterre, 1788). Leaf scale gulper shark.

Family Dalatiidae - Kitefin sharks

4. Centroscyllium ornatum (Alcock, 1889). Ornate dogfish.

5. Dalatias licha (Bonnaterra, 1788). Kitefin shark.

Family Echinorhinidae - Bramble sharks

6. Echinorhinus brucus (Bonaterre, 1788). Bramble shark.

7. Echinorhinus cookie (Pietschmann, 1928)

Order Orectolobiformes - Carpet sharks

Family Hemiscylliidae - Bamboo sharks

7. Chiloscyllium griseum (Muller & Henle, 1838). Grey bambooshark.

8. Chiloscyllium indicum (Gmelin, 1789). Slender bamboo shark.

9. Chiloscyllium plagiosum (Bennet, 1830). Whitespotted bamboo shark.

Family Stegostomatidae

10. Stegostoma fasciatum (Hermann, 1783). Zebra shark.

Family Ginglymostomatidae - Nurse sharks

11. Nebrius ferrugineus (Lesson, 1830). Tawny nurse shark.

Family Rhincodontidae

12. Rhincodon typus (Smith, 1828). Whale shark.

Order Lamniformes - Mackerel sharks

Family Alopiidae - Thresher sharks

13. Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre, 1788). Thresher shark.

14. Alopias superciliosus (Lowe, 1839). Bigeye thresher shark.

15. Alopias pelagicus (Nakamura, 1935). Pelagic thresher shark.

Family Odontaspididae - Sand sharks

16. Odontaspis noronhai (Maul, 1955). Bigeye sandtiger.

17. Odontaspis ferox (Risso,1810). Smalltooth sandtiger.

18. Carcharias taurus (Rafinesque, 1810). Sandtiger shark.

Family Pseudocarchariidae

19. Pseudocarcharias kamoharai (Matsubara, 1936). Crocodile shark.

Family Lamnidae - White sharks

20. Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758). Great white shark.

21. Megachasma pelacios Compagno & Struhsaker 1983. Megamouth Shark.

21. Isurus oxyrinchus (Rafinesque, 1809). Shortfin mako shark.

22. Isurus paucus (Guitart Manday, 1966). Longfin mako.

Order Carcharhiniformes - Ground sharks

Family Scyliorhinidae - Catsharks

23. Atelomycterus marmoratus (Bennet, 1830). Coral catshark.

24. Bythaelurus hispidus (Alcock, 1891). Bristly catshark.

Family Proscylliidae - Finback catsharks

25. Eridacnis radcliffei (Smith, 1913) Pygmy ribbontail catshark.

Family Triakidae - Houndsharks

26. Mustelus manazo (Bleeker, 1854). Starspotted smoothhound.

27. Mustelus mosis (Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1899). Arabian smoothhound.

Family Hemigaleidae - Weasel sharks

28. Chaenogaleus macrostoma (Bleeker, 1852). Hooktooth shark.

29. Hemigaleus microstoma Bleeker, 1852. Sicklefin weasel shark.

30. Hemipristis elongatus (Klunzinger, 1871). Snaggletooth shark.

Family Carcharhinidae - Requiem sharks

31. Carcharhinus albimarginatus (Ruppel, 1837). Silvertip shark.

32. Carcharhinus altimus (Springer, 1950). Bignose shark.

33. Carcharhinus amblyrhynchoides (Whitley, 1934). Graceful shark.

34. Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos (Bleeker, 1856). Grey reef shark.

35. Carcharhinus amboinensis (Muller & Henle, 1839). Pigeye shark.

36. Carcharhinus brevipinna (Muller & Henle, 1839). Spinner shark.

37. Carcharhinus dussumieri (Valenceiennes, 1839). Whitecheek shark.

38. Carcharhinus falciformis (Bibron, 1839). Silky shark.

39. Carcharhinus hemiodon (Valenciennes, 1839). Pondicherry shark.

40. Carcharhinus limbatus (Valenciennes, 1839). Blacktip shark.

41. Carcharhinus longimanus (Poey. 1861). Oceanic whitetip shark.

42. Carcharhinus macloti (Muller & Hen1e, 1839). Hardnose shark.

43. Carcharhinus melanopterus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824). Blacktip reef shark.

44. Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827). Sandbar shark.

45. Carcharhinus sealei (Pietschmann, 1916). Blackspot shark.

46. Carcharhinus sorrah (Valenciennes. 1830). spot-tai1 shark.

47. Galeocerdo cuvier (Peron & Lesuer, 1822). Tiger shark.

48. Lamiopsis temminckii (Muller & Henlei. 1839). Broadfin shark.

49. Loxodon macrorhinus (Muller. Hen1e. 1839). Sliteye shark.

50. Negaprion acutidens (Ruppell, 1837). Sicklefin lemon shark.

51. Negaprion brevirostris (Poey. 1868). Lemon shark.

52. Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758). Blue shark.

53. Rhizoprionodon acutus (Ruppell, 1837). Milk shark.

54. Rhizoprionodon oligolinx (Springer. 1964). Grey sharpnose shark.

55. Scoliodon laticaudus (Muller & Henle, 1838). Spadenose shark.

56. Triaenodon obesus (Ruppell, 1837). Whitetip reef shark.

Family Sphyrnidae - Hammerhead sharks

57. Eusphyra blochii (Cuvier. 1817). Winghead.

58. Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith, 1834). Scalloped hammerhead.

59. Sphyrna mokarran (Ruppell. 1837). Great hammerhead.

60. Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus. 1757). Smooth hammerhead.

Batoidea is a superorder of cartilaginous fish commonly known as batoids or rays, but it also includes the skates and sawfishes. Approximately 560 species are described in thirteen families. Batoids are in the fish subclass Elasmobranchii along with sharks, as they are closely related. Rays are distinguished by their flattened bodies, enlarged pectoral fins that are fused to the head, and gill slits that are placed on their ventral surfaces.

The following list of rays and skates species recorded from the territorial waters of Sri Lanka.

Order Pristiformes

Family Pristidae - Carpenter sharks

61. Anoxypristis cuspidata (Latham, 1794). Narrow sawfish.

62. Pristis microdon (Latham, 1794). Largetooth sawfish.

63. Pristis zijsron (Bleeker, 1851). Longcomb sawfish.

Order Torpediniformes - Electric rays

Family Narkidae - Sleeper rays

64. Narke dipterygia (Bloch & Schneider, 1801). Numb fish.

65. Narcine brunnea (Annandale, 1909. Brown numbfish.

66. Narcine timlei (Bloch & Schneider, 1801). Blackspotted numbfish.

Order Myliobatiformes - Sting rays

Family Myliobatidae - Eagle rays

67. Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasen, 1790). Spotted eagle ray.

68. Aetomylaeus maculatus (Gray, 1834). Mottled eagle ray.

69. Aetomylaeus nichofii (Bloch & Schneider, 1801). Banded eagle ray.

70. Glaucostegus granulatus (Cuvier, 1829). Sharpnose guitarfish

71. Rhinobatos annandalei (Norman, 1926). Annandale’s guitarfish.

72. Rhina ancylostoma (Bloch & Schneider, 1801). Bowmouth guitarfish.

73. Rhynchobatus djiddensis (Forsskal, 1775). Whitespotted guitarfish.

74. Rhinoptera adspersa (Muller & Henle, 1841). Rough cownose ray.

75. Rhinoptera javanica (Muller & Henle, 1841). Javanese cownose ray.

Family Dasyatidae - Whiptail stingrays

76. Neotrygon kuhlii (Muller & Henle, 1841). Bluespotted stingray.

77. Himantura marginata (Blyth, 1860). Blackedged stingray.

78. Dasyatis pastinaca (Linnaeus, 1758). Common stingray.

79. Dasyatis zugei (Muller & Henle, 1841). Pale-edged stingray.

80. Himantura uarnacoides (Blyth, 1860). Whiptail stingray.

81. Himantura gerrardi (Gray, 1851). Sharpnose stingray.

82. Himantura imbricata (Bloch & Schheider, 1801). Scaly stingray.

83. Himantura uarnak (Forsksk.al, 1775). Honeycomb stingray.

84. Pastinachus sephen (Forsskal, 1775). Cowtail stingray.

85. Taeniura lymma (Forsskal, 1775). Bluespotted ribbon ray.

86. Taeniura meyeni Muller & Henle, 1841. Blotched fantail ray.

87. Urogymnus asperrimus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801). Porcupine ray.

Family Gymnuridae - Butterfly rays

88. Gymnura poecilura (Shaw, 1804). Longtail butterfly ray.

Subfamily Mobulidae - Devil rays

89. Mobula eregoodootenkee (Cuvier, 1829). Lesser devil ray.

90. Mobula kuhlii (Valenciennes, 1841). Pygmy devil ray.

References

• Rex I. De Silva (1984–5). "The Sharks of Sri Lanka – A Key to the Different Species and a Preliminary Checklist" (PDF). CEYLON J.SCI.(BIO.SCI.). dl.nsf.ac.lk. 17&18: 56–66. Retrieved 2014-07-28.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
• "Lanka among world’s top 20 shark killers | The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka". sundaytimes.lk. Retrieved 2014-07-28. 
• http://www.divesrilanka.com/Fauna-Sharks.html

De Silva, R. I. 2015. The Sharks of Sri Lanka. Colombo. Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka.