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Cartilaginous Fishes: Sharks & Rays:
Though there are several dozen chondrichthyous fishes recorded from the
larger Indonesian region, most folks will only encounter the few listed below,
and even these only occasionally. Sharks and rays are not only infrequent,
skittish visitors to nearshore reefs, but are heavily fished.
| Carcharhinus melanopterus (Quoy & Gaimard 1824), the
Blacktip Reef Shark. Indo-West to Central Pacific, including the Red Sea. To
six feet in length. Litters of 2 to 5 pups. Offered in the aquarium
trade regrettably all too often. Requires very large systems. |
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| Triaenodon obesus (Ruppell 1837), the Whitetip Reef
Shark. Indo-Pacific, including Red Sea and eastern Pacific. Here sitting
under a ledge off Maui in the Hawaiian Islands, and below, cruising over the
reef in Fiji. To about six feet in length. Only dangerous if molested. A
typical view of one sitting on the bottom and another up and about. |
 
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| Dasyatis kuhlii (Muller & Henle 1841), Kuhl's or
the Blue-Spotted Stingray. Indo-West Pacific, including the Red Sea. To
twenty eight inches in width. Reef associated. Feeds on crustaceans
(shrimps and crabs mainly). Venomous. Here in N. Sulawesi (Lembeh Strait). |
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