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Blind Shark
Brachaelurus waddi (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
A Blind Shark at a depth of 20 m, Halifax Point, Nelson Bay, New South Wales, February 2002. Photo © Á. Lumnitzer. View larger image.
The Blind Shark has a slightly flattened head, small eyes and a nasal barbel projecting from both nostrils. It has two dorsal fins that are close together and located well back on the body. The small anal fin is located just before the long caudal fin.
This species is brown to black on top and yellowish below. It often has light spots and about eleven dark saddles across the back.
It is a harmless species that grows to 1.2 m in length.
It feeds at night on invertebrates and small fishes.
The common name of this species arose from its behaviour of closing its eyes when landed by anglers.
The Blind Shark lives in shallow coastal waters. Juveniles are often seen in high-energy surge zones, whereas adults are usually seen during the day in caves and under ledges.
It has been recorded from southern Queensland to southern New South Wales in depths ranging from the intertidal zone down to 140 m.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
View a low resolution movie clip (49k) of this species. Go to the movies page for high and low resolution versions.
Further reading
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-Eastern Australia. Crawford House Press. Pp. 437.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Last, P.R. & J.D. Stevens. 1994 Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO. Pp. 513.
