Swellshark
(Cephaloscyllium ventriosum)
General data
The swell shark (Cephaloscyllium ventriosum) is a catshark in the family Scyliorhinidae. It is found in the tropical and subtropical eastern Pacific Ocean from between central California to southern Mexico, with an additional population off the coast of Chile. As a defense, the swell shark is able to expand to approximately double its regular size by swallowing water.
It can be found between the depths of 5 m and 450 m, but is most common between 5 m and 40 m.
Swell sharks are often found over algae-covered rocky bottoms where it hides in crevices during the day.
Swell sharks are typically around 90 cm in length, with a maximum length of 110 cm.
They have flat, broad heads with large gold eyes that have nictitating eyelids. Swell sharks have a yellow-brown coloration, with brown and white spots. The spots cover their underside, but are not present on their fins. Usually the younger sharks are lighter in color than the adults. The gills of a swell shark are usually very small and tight.
Every swell shark has around 55–60 teeth. Teeth typically have three smooth cusps, but can have as many as five cusps. The middle cusp is the longest.
