Halaelurus sellus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	CHONDRICHTHYES	CARCHARHINIFORMES	SCYLIORHINIDAE

Scientific Name:

Halaelurus sellus

Species Authority:

White, Last & Stevens, 2007

Common Name/s:

English

–

Rusty Catshark

Synonym/s:

Halaelurus sp. 1 (cf. boesemani Springer & D'Aubrey, 1972)

Taxonomic Notes:

Previously considered to be conspecific with H. boesemani but taxonomy recently resolved (White et al. 2007).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2007

Assessor/s

White, W.T.

Evaluator/s:

Valenti, S.V. & Stevens, J.D. (Shark Red List Authority)

Justification:
Halaelurus sellus is known only from the continental shelf off Western Australia in depths of 110–250 m. Although there is a small trawl fishery in this area, such small scyliorhinids are of little or no commercial value and are thus presumably discarded, although nothing is known of post-discard survival. This species is unlikely to be incidentally caught by recreational fishers. The extent of occurrence of this species appears to be quite small and probably less than 20,000 km², thus, could come under a significant threat if fishing pressure was to increase within its range. However, there is no evidence or reason to suspect that the population is in decline or that the population is fragmented and it is currently assessed as Least Concern.

History:

2003

–

Least Concern (IUCN 2003)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Northwestern Australia from Shark Bay to Northern Territory (White et al. 2007).
Countries:	Native: Australia (Northern Territory, Western Australia)
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Indian Ocean – eastern

Population [top]

Population:	Population size not known.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species is known only from the continental shelf off Western Australia in 110–250 m of depth and attains 42 cm in length with males mature at 34 cm (White et al. 2007). One pregnant female contains six egg cases (three in each uteri), which contained small embryos.
Systems:	Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	A small trawl fishery based off the northwest shelf of Australia is the only fishery likely to catch this species, however, since small scyliorhinids are of little or no commercial value they would presumably be discarded (R. McAuley, pers. comm.). No information is available on post-discard survival. There is no evidence to suggest that this species is under threat from overfishing or by any other means. This species is not utilised commercially and would most likely not be incidentally caught by recreational fishers.

Major Threat(s):

A small trawl fishery based off the northwest shelf of Australia is the only fishery likely to catch this species, however, since small scyliorhinids are of little or no commercial value they would presumably be discarded (R. McAuley, pers. comm.). No information is available on post-discard survival. There is no evidence to suggest that this species is under threat from overfishing or by any other means. This species is not utilised commercially and would most likely not be incidentally caught by recreational fishers.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Species composition data from the northwest scampi fishery is necessary.

Conservation Actions:

Species composition data from the northwest scampi fishery is necessary.

Citation:	White, W.T. 2007. Halaelurus sellus. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2010.
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