About Hemiscyllium freycineti (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)
The Indonesian speckled carpetshark, Hemiscyllium freycineti, is a species of bamboo shark belonging to the family Hemiscylliidae. Currently, this shark is found only in shallow ocean waters surrounding the Raja Ampat Islands in West Papua, Indonesia; it was formerly thought to have a much wider geographic range. This error in range understanding came from confusion between H. freycineti and H. michaeli, a species formally described from eastern Papua New Guinea in 2010.
There are clear physical differences between the two species. The spots on H. freycineti are smaller, and more rounded or slightly elongated in shape. In contrast, spots on H. michaeli are relatively large, have distinct edges, and are more leopard-like in appearance. The spots of H. freycineti also regularly darken to form 8 to 9 vertical bars along the shark's body and tail. Additionally, the large black spot located behind the pectoral fin is more clearly defined in H. michaeli than it is in H. freycineti. Because of this historical confusion, some reference books that include illustrations or photos labeled as H. freycineti actually depict H. michaeli.
H. freycineti reaches a maximum total length of 46 centimeters (18 inches). This shark is nocturnal, and hides in reef crevices during the day.
