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Grey bambooshark (Chiloscyllium griseum) — Hemiscylliidae

Grey bambooshark

Chiloscyllium griseum
VU · Vulnerable

The Grey bambooshark (Chiloscyllium griseum) is a brackish-water fish of the family Hemiscylliidae that grows up to 77 cm.

Length
77 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
5.0–100.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The grey bambooshark is a small bottom shark from the Indo-West Pacific, ranging from Pakistan and India to Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia. It grows to about 77 cm and has a slender, elongate body that is light brown to grey-brown with a cream belly; juveniles bear twelve to thirteen dark saddle marks that fade with growth. It lives as a common inshore species on the bottom of reefs and estuaries and tolerates brackish water. The fish feeds mainly on invertebrates and is oviparous: the egg cases are deposited on the bottom. Owing to fishing pressure the species is listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Grey bambooshark?

The Grey bambooshark has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly brown and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Grey bambooshark live?

The Grey bambooshark lives in brackish water and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Grey bambooshark get?

The Grey bambooshark grows to a maximum of about 77 cm.

Is the Grey bambooshark dangerous to humans?

No, the Grey bambooshark is harmless to humans.

Is the Grey bambooshark edible?

The Grey bambooshark is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Grijze bamboehaai sourced
English name
Grey bambooshark verified
Scientific name
Chiloscyllium griseum
Family
Hemiscylliidae
Other names
Black banded cat shark; Blackbanded shark; Carpet shark; Gray bamboo shark; Grey bambooshark verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
77.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Brown inferred
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
Yes inferred
Dorsal fins
Two separate sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
5.0 verified
Max depth (m)
100.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Vissen met natuurlijk aas (vis, garnaal, worm) of kunstaas dicht bij rif- en rotsstructuren. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Chiloscyllium

More from the family Hemiscylliidae

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