''Hemiscyllium galei'', the Cenderawasih epaulette shark, is a species of bamboo shark in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Hemiscylliidae The Hemiscylliidae are a family of sharks in the order Orectolobiformes, commonly known as longtail carpet sharks and sometimes as bamboo sharks. They are found in shallow waters of the tropical Indo-Pacific. They are relatively small sharks ...

. Together with '' H. henryi'', it was only

scientifically described A species description is a formal description of a newly discovered species, usually in the form of a scientific paper. Its purpose is to give a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differs from species that have be ...

in 2008 by

Gerald R. Allen Gerald Robert "Gerry" Allen (born March 26, 1942 in Los Angeles, California) is an American-born Australian ichthyologist. His career began in 1963, when he spent a semester at the University of Hawaii, where he also received a PhD in marine zo ...

and

Mark V. Erdmann Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fin ...

. At present, ''H. galei'' is only known from depths of at reefs in the

Cenderawasih Bay Cenderawasih Bay ( id, Teluk Cenderawasih, "Bird of Paradise Bay"), also known as Sarera Bay ( id, Teluk Sarera) and formerly Geelvink Bay ( nl, Geelvinkbaai), is a large bay in northern Province of Papua, Central Papua and West Papua, New Guine ...

in West Papua,

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. The largest known specimen was long. It can be separated from its relatives (e.g., '' H. freycineti'') by the combination of seven relatively large dark spots along the side of the body (between the

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the torso. ...

and tail-base), white markings on the edge of its dark dorsal saddles and other scattered white spots on the upper side.

Etymology

The shark is named in honor of underwater photographer and shark enthusiast Jeffrey Gale, who bid successfully to help conserve the species at a charity auction, and who then financially supported Conservation International’s efforts to preserve its habitat.

References

External links

* Michael, S. (May 13, 2008).
New Epaulette Walking Sharks!
' Retrieved August 30, 2011. Cenderawasihepaulette shark Fish of Western New Guinea Taxa named by Gerald R. Allen Taxa named by Mark van Nydeck Erdmann Cenderawasih epaulette shark {{shark-stub