''Brachaelurus'' (blind sharks) is the sole genus of

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...

s in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Brachaeluridae in the order

Orectolobiformes Carpet sharks are sharks classified in the order (biology), order Orectolobiformes . Sometimes the common name "carpet shark" (given because many species resemble ornately patterned carpets) is used interchangeably with "wobbegong", which is the ...

. Only two extant species of blind sharks occur, both of which are native to shallow coastal waters up to deep, off the eastern coast of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. They are distinguished by the presence of long

barbels In fish anatomy and turtle anatomy, a barbel is a slender, whisker like sensory organ near the mouth (sometimes called whiskers or tendrils). Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, the hagfish, the sturgeon, the z ...

, large spiracles, and a groove around the nostrils. They have two

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates. Dorsal fins have evolved independently several times through convergent evolution adapting to marine environments, so the fins are not all homologous. They are found ...

s, placed close together on the back, and a relatively short tail. Blind sharks have fully functioning eyes, but their name was given to them because when caught by anglers these eyes are closed (probably to protect them). Blind sharks feed on small fish,

cuttlefish Cuttlefish, or cuttles, are Marine (ocean), marine Mollusca, molluscs of the order (biology), suborder Sepiina. They belong to the class (biology), class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique ...

sea anemone Sea anemones ( ) are a group of predation, predatory marine invertebrates constituting the order (biology), order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the ''Anemone'', a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemone ...

s, and

crustacean Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquatic arthrop ...

s. The female retains the eggs in her body until they hatch (

ovoviviparity Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous and live-bearing viviparous reproduction. Ovoviviparous animals possess embryos that develop inside eggs that r ...

), during which time the embryos feed solely on the egg yolk.

Species

Two extant species in this genus are recognized: * ''

Brachaelurus colcloughi ''Brachaelurus'' (blind sharks) is the sole genus of sharks in the family Brachaeluridae in the order Orectolobiformes. Only two extant species of blind sharks occur, both of which are native to shallow coastal waters up to deep, off the eastern ...

'' Ogilby, 1908 (bluegrey carpetshark) * ''

Brachaelurus waddi The blind shark (''Brachaelurus waddi'') is one of two species of carpet sharks in the family Brachaeluridae, along with the bluegrey carpetshark (''Brachaelurus colcloughi''). Found along the coast of eastern Australia, this nocturnal, bottom ...

Bloch Bloch is a surname of German origin. Notable people with this surname include: A *Adele Bloch-Bauer (1881–1925), Austrian entrepreneur *Albert Bloch (1882–1961), American painter *Alexandre Bloch (1857–1919), French painter *Alfred Bloch ( ...

& J. G. Schneider, 1801 (blind shark) At least one species is present in the fossil record: * ''Brachaelurus estesi'' (Herman, 1977)

In aquaria

Both the blind shark and the Coclough's shark have been successfully kept in home aquaria. In captivity, they can live to be 20 years old. They are well suited because of their small adult sizes and "predilection for tight spaces". However, they are inactive during the daytime and spend most of the daylight hours hiding in artificial caves. Brachaelurids have been successfully reared in home aquaria on diets of fresh and frozen seafood fed three times weekly. Waters at have been found to be most conducive to the health of these fish. Brachaelurids have been known to consume any of their tankmates that can be successfully swallowed. Blind sharks have been induced to breed in captivity. The Sydney Aquarium has successfully maintained an entire breeding colony of blind sharks.

References

Brachaeluridae Shark genera Aalenian first appearances Extant Middle Jurassic first appearances Taxa named by James Douglas Ogilby {{shark-stub