Painted swellshark
| Painted swellshark | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Division: | Selachii |
| Order: | Carcharhiniformes |
| Family: | Scyliorhinidae |
| Genus: | Cephaloscyllium |
| Species: | C. pictum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cephaloscyllium pictum Last, Séret & W. T. White, 2008
| |
The painted swellshark (Cephaloscyllium pictum) is a little-known species of catshark, belonging to the family Scyliorhinidae, found in eastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste. This species reaches a maximum known length of 72 cm (28 in), and has a thick body with a short, broad and flattened head. It is dark gray with a variegated pattern of irregular darker and lighter blotches above, and lighter below with gray blotches and speckling on the snout. Like other swellsharks, it can inflate itself as a defensive measure.