Sri Lanka is a tropical island situated close to the southern tip of India. The diversity of fish fauna within the inland waterways and around the island is very high considering the small size of the island.[1]
Class Chondrichthyes - Cartilage fishes
Among the marine fishes, sharks and batoids (rays and skates) form a considerable diversity.[2] 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 the 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.[3][4]
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
| Name | Binomial | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose sixgill shark
| Hexanchus griseus | |
| Broadnose sevengill shark
| Notorynchus cepedianus | unconfirmed |
Order Squaliformes
Family Centrophoridae - gulper sharks
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Leaf scale gulper shark | Centrophorus squamosus |
| Gulper shark
| Centrophorus granulatus |
Family Dalatiidae - kitefin sharks
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Ornate dogfish
| Centroscyllium ornatum |
| Kitefin shark
| Dalatias licha |
Family Echinorhinidae - bramble sharks
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Bramble shark
| Echinorhinus brucus |
| Prickly shark
| Echinorhinus cookei |
Family Somniosidae - sleeper sharks
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Roughskin dogfish | Centroscymnus owstonii |
Order Orectolobiformes - carpet sharks
Family Hemiscylliidae - bamboo sharks
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Grey bamboo shark
| Chiloscyllium griseum |
| Slender bamboo shark
| Chiloscyllium indicum |
| White spotted bamboo shark
| Chiloscyllium plagiosum |
Family Stegostomatidae
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Zebra shark
| Stegostoma fasciatum |
Family Ginglymostomatidae - nurse sharks
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Tawny nurse shark
| Nebrius ferrugineus |
Family Rhincodontidae
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Whale shark
| Rhincodon typus |
Order Lamniformes - mackerel sharks
Family Alopiidae - thresher sharks
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Thresher shark
| Alopias vulpinus |
| Bigeye thresher shark
| Alopias superciliosus |
| Pelagic thresher shark
| Alopias pelagicus |
Family Odontaspididae - sand sharks
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Bigeye sand tiger
| Odontaspis noronhai |
| Smalltooth sand tiger
| Odontaspis ferox |
| Sand tiger shark
| Carcharias taurus |
Family Pseudocarchariidae
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Crocodile shark
| Pseudocarcharias kamoharai |
Family Lamnidae - white sharks
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Great white shark
| Carcharodon carcharias |
| Shortfin mako shark
| Isurus oxyrinchus |
| Longfin mako shark
| Isurus paucus |
Family Megachasmidae - megamouth
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Megamouth shark
| Megachasma pelacios |
Order Carcharhiniformes - ground sharks
Family Scyliorhinidae - catsharks
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Coral catshark
| Atelomycterus marmoratus |
| Bristly catshark | Bythaelurus hispidus |
| Dwarf false catshark | Planonasus parini |
Family Proscylliidae - finback catsharks
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Pygmy ribbontail catshark
| Eridacnis radcliffei |
Family Triakidae - houndsharks
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Starspotted smooth-hound
| Mustelus manazo |
| Arabian smooth-hound
| Mustelus mosis |
Family Hemigaleidae - weasel sharks
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Hooktooth shark
| Chaenogaleus macrostoma |
| Sicklefin weasel shark
| Hemigaleus microstoma |
| Snaggletooth shark
| Hemipristis elongatus |
Family Carcharhinidae - requiem sharks
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Silvertip shark
| Carcharhinus albimarginatus |
| Bignose shark
| Carcharhinus altimus |
| Graceful shark
| Carcharhinus amblyrhynchoides |
| Grey reef shark
| Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos |
| Pigeye shark
| Carcharhinus amboinensis |
| Spinner shark
| Carcharhinus brevipinna |
| Whitecheek shark
| Carcharhinus dussumieri |
| Silky shark
| Carcharhinus falciformis |
| Pondicherry shark | Carcharhinus hemiodon |
| Blacktip shark
| Carcharhinus limbatus |
| Oceanic whitetip shark
| Carcharhinus longimanus |
| Hardnose shark
| Carcharhinus macloti |
| Blacktip reef shark
| Carcharhinus melanopterus |
| Sandbar shark
| Carcharhinus plumbeus |
| Blackspot shark
| Carcharhinus sealei |
| Spot-tail shark
| Carcharhinus sorrah |
| Tiger shark
| Galeocerdo cuvier |
| Broadfin shark
| Lamiopsis temminckii |
| Sliteye shark
| Loxodon macrorhinus |
| Sicklefin lemon shark
| Negaprion acutidens |
| Lemon shark
| Negaprion brevirostris |
| Blue shark
| Prionace glauca |
| Milk shark
| Rhizoprionodon acutus |
| Grey sharpnose shark
| Rhizoprionodon oligolinx |
| Spadenose shark
| Scoliodon laticaudus |
| Whitetip reef shark
| Triaenodon obesus |
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Family Sphyrnidae - hammerhead sharks
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Winghead shark
| Eusphyra blochii |
| Scalloped hammerhead
| Sphyrna lewini |
| Great hammerhead
| Sphyrna mokarran |
| Smooth hammerhead
| Sphyrna zygaena |
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
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Narrow sawfish
| Anoxypristis cuspidata |
| Largetooth sawfish
| Pristis microdon |
| Longcomb sawfish
| Pristis zijsron |
Order Torpediniformes - electric rays
Family Narkidae - sleeper rays
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Numbray
| Narke dipterygia |
| Brown numbfish | Narcine brunnea |
| Blackspotted numbfish | Narcine timlei |
Order Myliobatiformes - sting rays
Family Myliobatidae - eagle rays
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Stripenose guitarfish | Acroteriobatus variegatus |
| Spotted eagle ray
| Aetobatus narinari |
| Mottled eagle ray
| Aetomylaeus maculatus |
| Banded eagle ray
| Aetomylaeus nichofii |
| Wafic’s eagle ray | Aetomylaeus wafickii |
| Sharpnose guitarfish
| Glaucostegus granulatus |
| Bowmouth guitarfish
| Rhina ancylostoma |
| Annandale's guitarfish | Rhinobatos annandalei |
| Giant guitarfish
| Rhynchobatus djiddensis |
| Rough cownose ray | Rhinoptera adspersa |
| Javanese cownose ray
| Rhinoptera javanica |
Family Dasyatidae - whiptail stingrays
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Bluespotted maskray
| Neotrygon kuhlii |
| Common stingray
| Dasyatis pastinaca |
| Pale-edged stingray
| Dasyatis zugei |
| Sharpnose stingray
| Himantura gerrardi |
| Scaly whipray
| Himantura imbricata |
| Blackedged stingray | Himantura marginata |
| Whiptail stingray
| Himantura uarnacoides |
| Honeycomb stingray
| Himantura uarnak |
| Pakistan whipray | Maculabatis arabica |
| Cowtail stingray
| Pastinachus sephen |
| Bluespotted ribbon ray
| Taeniura lymma |
| Round ribbontail ray
| Taeniura meyeni |
| Porcupine ray
| Urogymnus asperrimus |
_(8465011759).jpg)
Family Gymnuridae - butterfly rays
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Longtail butterfly ray
| Gymnura poecilura |
Subfamily Mobulidae - devil rays
| Name | Binomial |
|---|---|
| Lesser devil ray
| Mobula eregoodootenkee |
| Pygmy devil ray
| Mobula kuhlii |
References
- Rex I. De Silva (1984–1985). "The Sharks of Sri Lanka – A Key to the Different Species and a Preliminary Checklist". Ceylon Journal of Science. Biological Sciences. 17–18: 56–66. Retrieved 2014-07-28.
- "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. https://sites.google.com/site/booksharksofsrilanka/home/Ebert, D.A., De Silva, R.I. and Goonewardene, M. First Record of a Dwarf False Catshark (Carcharhiniformes" Pseudotriakidae) from Sri Lanka. LORIS 27 (5 and 6) pp. 63–64.