The mandarin dogfish (''Cirrhigaleus barbifer'') is a dogfish, a member of 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 ...

Squalidae Squalidae, more commonly known as dogfish, dog sharks, or spiny dogfish, are one of several families of sharks categorized under Squaliformes, making it the second largest order of sharks, numbering 119 species across 7 families. Having earned ...

in the order

Squaliformes The Squaliformes are an order of sharks that includes about 126 species in seven families. Members of the order have two dorsal fins, which usually possess spines, they usually have a sharp head, no anal fin or nictitating membrane, and fi ...

. It is found at depths of off southern

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

, and

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

(

Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...

and

Lombok Lombok, is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east. It is rou ...

). Populations off

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 ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

were formerly included in this species, but in 2007 these were assigned to a new species, the

southern mandarin dogfish The southern Mandarin dogfish (''Cirrhigaleus australis'') is a species of Mandarin dogfish shark in the genus ''Cirrhigaleus''. It was distinguished from ''Cirrhigaleus barbifer'', which lives in the North Pacific, on an expedition in the coral ...

. It is not clear which of these species is involved in other populations from the tropical West Pacific. In March 2013 it was announced that two sharks caught near

Rottnest Island Rottnest Island (), often colloquially referred to as "Rotto", is a Islands of Perth, Western Australia, island off the coast of Western Australia, located west of Fremantle. A sandy, low-lying island formed on a base of aeolianite limestone, ...

off the coast of

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

in 2011 had been identified as ''Cirrhigaleus barbifer''.

History

The first observation of the species outside Japanese waters can be found in record from 1912, identifying ''Cirrhigaleus barbifer'' in New Zealand waters. In 1969, a female ''Cirrhigaleus barbifer'' was long-lined in about 360 m for observation, measuring 922 mm in total length. The female was found between Mayor Island and White Island in the Bay of Plenty by Mr. Goldie Hitchling on the ''Fair Isle'', a commercial fishing vessel. The fish was sent to Wellington via the New Zealand Marine Department for identification. The second specimen was found on 22 September 1970 by Mr. J. I. Phillips on the fishing vessel ''Moana''. This specimen was another female, long-lined in about 440 m, measuring 1082 mm in total length. Both individuals can be found in the Dominion Museum in Wellington, by their registration numbers 5105 and 5163 respectively. The two females are the largest individuals of ''Cirrhigaleus barbifer'' recorded thus far, and are the only individuals known to reside elsewhere besides Japanese waters. Their observed location in New Zealand is indicative of the great extension of range for this species. ''Cirrhigaleus barbifer'' was established by Tanka in 1912 as a new genus and species within Squalidae (dogfish) based on a single male individual that was found in the Tokyo Fish Market, but was later identified as being from the Sagami Sea. Elsewhere, Herre had proposed a new genus and species for a female ''Cirrhigaleus barbifer'' found in Misaki Bay in Japan. Herre had initially dubbed this individual ''Phaenopogon barbulifer'', but upon discovery of Tanka’s records, conceded the name to ''Cirrhigaleus barbifer''. Garman (1913), Fowler (1941), and Bigelow and Schroeder (1948, 1957), used both accounts by Tanka and Herre to determine the status of ''Cirrhigaleus'' and how it relates to Squalus.

Appearance

The mandarin dogfish (''Cirrhigaleus barbifer'') ranges in colour from grey to brown, with a pale undersid

Many also display a mottled pattern near the snout and various locations along the dorsal side. ''Cirrhigaleus barbifer'' has a stout body and a short snout, with two to three rows of teeth on both upper and lower jaw

The maximum length of the species is not certain, but one of the longest lengths recorded was observed with a 125 cm mature femal

On average, the males are a shorter length than their female counterparts. One of the most distinct features of the species are their elongated nasal barbels, thought to help with locating prey.

Habitat and diet

The preferred habitat of ''Cirrhigaleus barbifer'' is not well documented. Based on the species’ presence in Japan, Taiwan, and Indonesia, it can be inferred that deep waters in subtropical/tropical climates are likely habitats. There have been noted instances of ''Cirrhigaleus barbifer'' in New Zealand and Western Australia, suggesting that the species has a broader habitat range. The mandarin dogfish is expected to feed on benthic fishes and certain invertebrate

Reproductive behaviour

The species is ovoviviparous which means that they have ten young in a litter or five young for each uterus with no sexual disequilibrium. The embryos range in size from 213-233 mm Fish measurement, TL. The females seem to display aplacental viviparity which means that the eggs hatch while they are still inside of the uterus.

References

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1409782 Fish described in 1912 Taxa named by Shigeho Tanaka Cirrhigaleus