Blind shark : Deep Blue sea Shark

Fish World | Blind shark : Deep Blue sea Shark | Blind shark (Brachaelurus Waddi) is one of two species of sharks lurking in the Brachaeluridae family with carpetshark bluegrey (Heteroscyllium Colclough), and the only member of its kind existing. Located on the eastern coast of Australia last night, benthic species is common in rocky areas and seagrass in the intertidal zone to a depth of 140 m (460 ft). He wanders often in tidal pools, where it can be trapped by the tide, and can survive for long periods out of water. The shark is not really blind blind its common name came from his habit of closing his eyes when taken out of the water.

Breeding from 62 to 66 cm below (24-26 inches) long, a blind shark stocky, gray to brown with white spots of the body and darker stripes that fade with age. Its head is broad, flattened, and blunt, with small eyes on top and a pair of long barbels below. It has large pectoral fins, two nearly equal-sized dorsal fins placed far back on the body, and an anal fin placed near the caudal fin. Blind shark feeds primarily on small invertebrates and fish bone. It is viviparous aplacental with females with litters of 7-8 pups in summer. This small shark is easily adapted to be kept in captivity. It is not appreciated by either commercial or recreational fishermen, and its hardiness means that people caught incidentally are likely to be returned to the water alive. In the absence of significant threats to its population, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has been evaluated as Least Concern.
German naturalists Marcus Elieser Bloch and Johann Gottlob Schneider originally described the shark Squalus Waddi blind in their Ichthyologiae 1801 Systema. However, there is uncertainty as to whether his account was referring to this species or shark brownbanded bamboo (Chiloscyllium punctatum) because it was based on a painting by John Latham which could not be located by later authors. In 1907, James Douglas Ogilby Brachaelurus invented the genre for this species, Brachy Greek meaning "short" and ailouros means "cat". In 1973, Leonard Compagno and placed him carpetshark bluegrey in their own families. This shark may also be referred to as the flying fox fruit bat brown or dark.
Various phylogenetic studies based on morphology, concluded that the tradition of blind shark is a sister taxon of wobbegong. Fossil shark blind were found in the Cretaceous period (from 99.6 to 65.5 Ma) deposits from Europe, and in Pliocene time (05/03 to 02/06 Ma) deposits from Chile and Peru. A number of other species Brachaelurus are also known from fossils.
The range of the blind shark is limited to the eastern coast of Australia, Mooloolaba in southern Queensland to Jervis Bay in New South Wales, earlier reports out of Western Australia and the Northern Territory appear to be misunderstanding brownbanded bamboo shark. Blind shark is a benthic species that generally inhabits the continental shelf in the intertidal zone, including tidal pools barely enough to cover her body, at a depth of 73 m (240 ft) if it has been recorded as deep as 140 m (460 ft). Preferred habitats are rocky areas and seagrass beds adjacent minor are common in areas of high energy upward. In Nelson Bay, this shark was found lying in the open top of the sponges.
The shark has a stocky body blind and a large head and slightly flattened with a rounded snout. The small oval eyes are located high on the head and strong ridges below, the oval stigma are positioned behind and below and have obviously raised edges. The nostrils are placed almost at the tip of the snout and long, tapering barbels shreds of skin before and well developed and grooves around the incurrent openings. A pair of grooves connecting the nostrils to clear small, almost cross the mouth. There are from 32 to 34 rows of upper teeth and 21-29 lower rows of teeth, each tooth has a vertical position, subulate backbone and a pair of side cusplets. The five pairs of gill slits are small, with the fifth pair close to the fourth.

The pectoral fins are large and broad, with rounded margins. The two dorsal fins are about equal in size and have rounded apex and angular free rear tips, first dorsal fin arises above the base of the pelvic fins. The pelvic fins are rounded and almost as large as the pectoral fins. The anal fin is less than half the size of the dorsal fins and is located very near the base of the long caudal fin small. The caudal fin has about one quarter of the total length, without ventral lobe and a large ventral notch near the tip of the upper lobe. The dermal denticles are large, giving the skin a rough texture. This species is light to dark brown above, often with white spots, and lighter below. Juveniles also have dark stripes on the body and tail, which fade with age. Blind shark can reach a length of 0.9 to 1.2 m (3.0 to 3.9 feet), but most are much smaller.


Contrary to its common name, shark blind "perfectly adequate" vision. It was named by fishermen as it retracts his eyeballs and his thick lower eyelids close when removed from water. This species can live up to 18 hours out of the water, allowing it to survive being stranded by the tide. Blind shark is secret and slow during the day, with adults usually hide in caves or under ledges and minors within the cracks, but it will take food given the opportunity. At night it moves over the reefs and sea grass to forage for small invertebrates (including crabs, shrimp, cephalopods, and sea anemones) and bony fishes. The prey is captured by suction.


The shark is viviparous with a blind aplacental annual reproductive cycle eventually. Females give birth to 7-8 pups during the summer as newborns 15-18 cm (5.9 to 7.1 inches) long. Sexual maturity is reached at least a length of 62 cm (24 in.) for males and 66 cm (26 inches) for females. He lived to 20 years in captivity. A parasite known of this shark is an undescribed species of tapeworm in Carpobothrium genre.


The shark is basically blind harmless to humans, but can bite if provoked and is difficult to remove, because of its strong jaws and powerful suction. There are cases of shark bite and cling to blind divers combinations, even after they surface, and could not be removed by prying open the sharks' jaws. This species is one of the few sharks considered suitable for aquariums private, as it is hardy, grows to a small size, and sedentary habits, although his night, reclusive nature, it is difficult to observe. The blind shark was even brought to breed in captivity, with the Aquarium Sydney have managed to maintain a breeding colony.


Commercial fisheries do not target or use the blind shark, as its flesh has a strong taste like ammonia that is not easy to remove. It is incidentally caught shrimp trawl and other fisheries off the coast of Queensland and New South Wales, long after take survival may be high due to its ability to tolerate being out of the water. A small number of sharks caught by recreational fishers are blind, who see them as a nuisance because its small jaws are strong mouth and remove the brackets filed difficult. It is generally too small to be susceptible to shark nets used to protect beaches. The impact of the collection for the aquarium trade on this shark is unknown, but do not appear to be severe. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has placed the shark as blind Concern because it is abundant and diverse pressures on the population do not appear to pose a significant threat. Its range overlaps a number of ongoing and proposed marine protected areas (MPAs)