Western Shovelnosed Ray MLSSA Dan MonceauxWestern Shovelnosed Ray MLSSA Dan Monceaux

A variety of elasmobranchs can be found in the waters of Upper Spencer Gulf in South Australia. In 2008, the Olympic Dam Expansion EIS was published. The document housed the following data in Appendix O2. Sighting records had been aggregated from a variety of sources. These records have been represented here, in anticipation of the first Whyalla Underwater Shootout in June 2014.

COMMON NAME FAMILY GENUS SPECIES SOURCE
Angelshark, Australian Squatinidae Squatina australis 2, 6
Catshark, Gulf Scyliorhinidae Asymbolus vincenti 2, 6
Hammerhead, Smooth Sphrnidae Sphyrna vincentiana 4, 5, 2, 6, 7
Numbfish Hypnidae Hypnos monopterygium 7
Spurdog, Piked Squalidae Squalus megalops 2
Ray, Eagle Myliobatidae Myliobatis australis 4, 5, 2, 3*, 6, 7
Ray, Southern Fiddler Rhinobatidae Trygonorrhina fasciata 5, 2, 3*, 6, 7, 8
Ray, Western Shovelnose Rhinobatidae Aptychotrema vincentiana 2, 6
Saw Shark, Common Pristiophoridae Pristiophorus cirratus 4
Shark, Broadnose Sevengill Hexanchidae Notorynchus cepedianus 2
Shark, Elephant Callorinchidae Callorhinchus milii 5, 2, 6
Shark, Great White Lamnidae Carcharodon carcharias 1*, 4, 5
Shark, Gummy Triakidae Mustelus antarcticus 4, 5, 2, 3, 6
Shark, Port Jackson Heterodontidae Heterodontus portusjacksoni 4, 2, 6, 7, 9
Shark, School Triakidae Galeorhinus galeus 4, 5, 3, 6
Shark, Thresher Alopiidae Alopias vulpinus 5
Shark, Whiskery Triakidae Furgaleus macki 4, 5
Skate, Melbourne Rajidae Dipturus whitleyi 2
Skate, Pygmy Thornback Rajidae Dipturus sp. 2*
Skate, White-spotted Rajidae Dipturus cerva 2
Saw Shark, Southern Pristiophoridae Pristiophorus nudipinnis 2
Stingaree, Coastal Urolophidae Urolophus orarius 5*, 2
Stingaree, Sparsely-spotted Urolophidae Urolophus paucimaculatus 2
Stingray, Smooth Dasyatidae Dasyatis brevicaudata 4, 5, 2, 6, 9
Whaler, Bronze Carcharhinidae Carcharhinus brachyurus 5, 3, 6
Wobbegong, Cobbler Orectolobidae Sutorectus tentaculatus 2, 9
Wobbegong, Ornate/Banded Orectolobidae Orectolobus halei 6, 7, 8

Sources

Number Author, Year Area
1 Protected Matters database (DEWHA 2008) All of Upper Spencer Gulf
2 Dixon et al. 2005 and Svane et al. 2007 South of Point Lowly
3 SARDI commercial fishing data All of Upper Spencer Gulf
4 SEA 1981 Point Lowly / Port Bonython
5 Baker 2004 All of Upper Spencer Gulf
6 Shepherd 1973 Douglas Bank to Blanche Harbor/Red Cliff Point
7 Healy and Reynolds 1992 All of Upper Spencer Gulf
8 Shepherd 1983b Douglas Bank to Blanche Harbor/Red Cliff Point
9 Brook, J, pers. observation, June 2008, during cuttlefish population surveys (described in Olympic Dam EIS Appendix O5.5) Point Lowly, Backy Point

Note: sources listed with a * represent uncertain records. You can view the source of this data here.

By Dan Monceaux

Dan Monceaux is a documentary filmmaker with a keen interest in marine biodoversity and conservation issues. He joined MLSSA in 2013 and served as Secretary from April-December 2014. Dan snorkels and has burning passions for underwater photography and citizen science.

2 thought on “Species list: Sharks, rays and skates of Upper Spencer Gulf”
  1. the species list was put together by James Brook and I in 2007. Of the 15 or so species I added to the draft, most were incidential records from SARDI’s prawn trawling bycatch surveys, found in very low numbers in areas further south in the central gulf, and were included in the NSG shark list due to their possible periodic presence in that area. Very few of these species are resident in the Whyalla area.

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