CR

Whitefin Swellshark

Cephaloscyllium albipinnum

Declining

Overview

The whitefin swellshark is a species of catshark, belonging to the family Scyliorhinidae, endemic to southeastern Australia. It is found 126–554 m (413–1,818 ft) down, on the outer continental shelf and upper continental slope. Reaching 1.1 m (3.6 ft) in length, this shark has a very thick body and a short, broad, flattened head with a large mouth.

It is characterized by a dorsal color pattern of dark saddles and blotches over a brown to gray background, and light fin margins. When threatened the whitefin swellshark can inflate itself with water or air to increase its size. Reproduction is oviparous.

As of 2019 The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed this species as Critically Endangered due to the significant decline of the population.

The Whitefin Swellshark is confined to a narrow band of the upper continental slope off southeastern Australia, an area subject to intensive commercial trawl fishing for scalefish and shark species. As a slow-reproducing demersal shark with a highly restricted range, it is caught incidentally as bycatch in trawl and gillnet fisheries operating at depths of 220–420 metres, with no species-specific management measures in place to reduce mortality. Ongoing trawl effort within its limited depth and geographic range is believed to have driven substantial population decline, and its restricted distribution offers little scope for recolonisation of depleted areas.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits the upper continental slope off southeastern Australia, typically found on or near the seabed at depths of roughly 220 to 420 metres.

MARINE· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protection

Other threatened species in SCYLIORHINIDAE

Reticulated SwellsharkCR

Reticulated Swellshark

Cephaloscyllium fasciatum

Declining
VU

Nursehound

Scyliorhinus stellaris

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CR

Sarawak Pygmy Swell Shark

Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis

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VU

Lizard Catshark

Schroederichthys saurisqualus

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Threatened in Australia

EN

Montipora calcarea

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VU

Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

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VU

Broad-headed Snake

Hoplocephalus bungaroides

Unknown
VU

White-winged Petrel

Pterodroma leucoptera

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Whitefin Swellshark classified as Critically Endangered?
Whitefin Swellshark is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Whitefin Swellshark is confined to a narrow band of the upper continental slope off southeastern Australia, an area subject to intensive commercial trawl fishing for scalefish and shark species. As a slow-reproducing demersal shark with a highly restricted range, it is caught incidentally as bycatch in trawl and gillnet fisheries operating at depths of 220–420 metres, with no species-specific management measures in place to reduce mortality. Ongoing trawl effort within its limited depth and geographic range is believed to have driven substantial population decline, and its restricted distribution offers little scope for recolonisation of depleted areas.
Where does Whitefin Swellshark live?
Whitefin Swellshark occurs in Australia. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Whitefin Swellshark?
The main threats to Whitefin Swellshark are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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