Sri Lanka is a tropical island situated close to the southern tip of India. The diversity of fish fauna within the inland waterways and around the island is very high considering the small size of the island.
Class Chondrichthyes - Cartilage fishes Among the marine fishes, sharks and batoids (rays and skates) form a considerable diversity. A preliminary checklist of sharks around Sri Lanka was compiled by marine biologist, ornithologist, astronomer and well known diver Rex I. De Silva in 1985. It is cited as the first most comprehensive catalogue to Sri Lankan cartilage fishes. On 2016 May, he published the Illustrated Guide of Sharks of Sri Lanka. According to De Silva, there are 60 sharks species and 30 rays and skates found around the coast of Sri Lanka.
Sharks are a group of fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimorpha (or Selachii) and are the sister group to the rays.
The following list of shark species recorded from the territorial waters of Sri Lanka.
Order Hexanchiformes - primitive sharks Family Hexanchidae - cow sharks Name Binomial NoteBluntnose sixgill sharkHexanchus griseusBroadnose sevengill sharkNotorynchus cepedianus unconfirmed
Order Squaliformes Family Centrophoridae - gulper sharks Name BinomialLeaf scale gulper sharkCentrophorus squamosusGulper sharkCentrophorus granulatus
Family Dalatiidae - kitefin sharks Name BinomialOrnate dogfishCentroscyllium ornatumKitefin sharkDalatias licha
Family Echinorhinidae - bramble sharks Name BinomialBramble sharkEchinorhinus brucusPrickly sharkEchinorhinus cookei
Family Somniosidae - sleeper sharks Name BinomialRoughskin dogfishCentroscymnus owstonii
Order Orectolobiformes - carpet sharks Family Hemiscylliidae - bamboo sharks Name BinomialGrey bamboo sharkChiloscyllium griseumSlender bamboo sharkChiloscyllium indicumWhite spotted bamboo sharkChiloscyllium plagiosum
Family Stegostomatidae Name BinomialZebra sharkStegostoma fasciatum
Family Ginglymostomatidae - nurse sharks Name BinomialTawny nurse sharkNebrius ferrugineus
Family Rhincodontidae Name BinomialWhale sharkRhincodon typus
Order Lamniformes - mackerel sharks Family Alopiidae - thresher sharks Name BinomialThresher sharkAlopias vulpinusBigeye thresher sharkAlopias superciliosusPelagic thresher sharkAlopias pelagicus
Family Odontaspididae - sand sharks Name BinomialBigeye sand tigerOdontaspis noronhaiSmalltooth sand tigerOdontaspis feroxSand tiger sharkCarcharias taurus
Family Pseudocarchariidae Name BinomialCrocodile sharkPseudocarcharias kamoharai
Family Lamnidae - white sharks Name BinomialGreat white sharkCarcharodon carchariasShortfin mako sharkIsurus oxyrinchusLongfin mako sharkIsurus paucus
Family Megachasmidae - megamouth Name BinomialMegamouth sharkMegachasma pelacios
Order Carcharhiniformes - ground sharks Family Scyliorhinidae - catsharks Name BinomialCoral catsharkAtelomycterus marmoratusBristly catsharkBythaelurus hispidusDwarf false catsharkPlanonasus parini
Family Proscylliidae - finback catsharks Name BinomialPygmy ribbontail catsharkEridacnis radcliffei
Family Triakidae - houndsharks Name BinomialStarspotted smooth-houndMustelus manazoArabian smooth-houndMustelus mosis
Family Hemigaleidae - weasel sharks Name BinomialHooktooth sharkChaenogaleus macrostomaSicklefin weasel sharkHemigaleus microstomaSnaggletooth sharkHemipristis elongatus
Family Carcharhinidae - requiem sharks Name BinomialSilvertip sharkCarcharhinus albimarginatusBignose sharkCarcharhinus altimusGraceful sharkCarcharhinus amblyrhynchoidesGrey reef sharkCarcharhinus amblyrhynchosPigeye sharkCarcharhinus amboinensisSpinner sharkCarcharhinus brevipinnaWhitecheek sharkCarcharhinus dussumieriSilky sharkCarcharhinus falciformisPondicherry sharkCarcharhinus hemiodonBlacktip sharkCarcharhinus limbatusOceanic whitetip sharkCarcharhinus longimanusHardnose sharkCarcharhinus maclotiBlacktip reef sharkCarcharhinus melanopterusSandbar sharkCarcharhinus plumbeusBlackspot sharkCarcharhinus sealeiSpot-tail sharkCarcharhinus sorrahTiger sharkGaleocerdo cuvierBroadfin sharkLamiopsis temminckiiSliteye sharkLoxodon macrorhinusSicklefin lemon sharkNegaprion acutidensLemon sharkNegaprion brevirostrisBlue sharkPrionace glaucaMilk sharkRhizoprionodon acutusGrey sharpnose sharkRhizoprionodon oligolinxSpadenose sharkScoliodon laticaudusWhitetip reef sharkTriaenodon obesus
Family Sphyrnidae - hammerhead sharks Name BinomialWinghead sharkEusphyra blochiiScalloped hammerheadSphyrna lewiniGreat hammerheadSphyrna mokarranSmooth hammerheadSphyrna zygaena
Batoidea is a superorder of cartilaginous fish commonly known as batoids or rays, but it also includes the skates and sawfishes. Approximately 560 species are described in thirteen families. Batoids are in the fish subclass Elasmobranchii along with sharks, as they are closely related. Rays are distinguished by their flattened bodies, enlarged pectoral fins that are fused to the head, and gill slits that are placed on their ventral surfaces.
The following list of rays and skates species recorded from the territorial waters of Sri Lanka.
Order Pristiformes Family Pristidae - carpenter sharks Name BinomialNarrow sawfishAnoxypristis cuspidataLargetooth sawfishPristis microdonLongcomb sawfishPristis zijsron
Order Torpediniformes - electric rays Family Narkidae - sleeper rays Name BinomialNumbrayNarke dipterygiaBrown numbfishNarcine brunneaBlackspotted numbfishNarcine timlei
Order Myliobatiformes - sting rays Family Myliobatidae - eagle rays Name BinomialStripenose guitarfishAcroteriobatus variegatusSpotted eagle rayAetobatus narinariMottled eagle rayAetomylaeus maculatusBanded eagle rayAetomylaeus nichofiiWafic’s eagle rayAetomylaeus wafickiiSharpnose guitarfishGlaucostegus granulatusBowmouth guitarfishRhina ancylostomaAnnandale's guitarfishRhinobatos annandaleiGiant guitarfishRhynchobatus djiddensisRough cownose rayRhinoptera adspersaJavanese cownose rayRhinoptera javanica
Family Dasyatidae - whiptail stingrays Name BinomialBluespotted maskrayNeotrygon kuhliiCommon stingrayDasyatis pastinacaPale-edged stingrayDasyatis zugeiSharpnose stingrayHimantura gerrardiScaly whiprayHimantura imbricataBlackedged stingrayHimantura marginataWhiptail stingrayHimantura uarnacoidesHoneycomb stingrayHimantura uarnakPakistan whiprayMaculabatis arabicaCowtail stingrayPastinachus sephenBluespotted ribbon rayTaeniura lymmaRound ribbontail rayTaeniura meyeniPorcupine rayUrogymnus asperrimus
Family Gymnuridae - butterfly rays Name BinomialLongtail butterfly rayGymnura poecilura
Subfamily Mobulidae - devil rays Name BinomialLesser devil rayMobula eregoodootenkeePygmy devil rayMobula kuhlii
References
http://www.divesrilanka.com/Fauna-Sharks.html De Silva, R. I. 2015. The Sharks of Sri Lanka. Colombo. Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka. https://sites.google.com/site/booksharksofsrilanka/home/ Ebert, D.A., De Silva, R.I. and Goonewardene, M. First Record of a Dwarf False Catshark (Carcharhiniformes" Pseudotriakidae) from Sri Lanka. LORIS 27 (5 and 6) pp. 63–64.