Mandarin Dogfish Jaw with Data ex Dr. Gordon Hubbell

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Mandarin Dogfish Jaw with Data (Cirrhigaleus barbifer)

The name alone earns a second look — and once you know what to look for, the Mandarin Dogfish is impossible to mistake. The long, prominent nasal barbels that inspired the common name are unlike anything else in the family Squalidae, giving this shark a face that stops ichthyologists in their tracks. A jaw with collection data from Dr. Gordon Hubbell's archive is the kind of find that completes a Cirrhigaleus trilogy or anchors a deepwater Pacific display in a way nothing else can.

Species & Classification

• Scientific Name: Cirrhigaleus barbifer (Tanaka, 1912)
• Common Names: Mandarin Dogfish, Mandarin Shark
• Family: Squalidae (Dogfish Sharks)
• Order: Squaliformes
• Etymology: barbifer derives from the Latin barba (beard or barbel) and -fer, from fero (to have or bear) — referring to the moustache-like barbels on the anterior nasal flaps Etyfish; Cirrhigaleus combines the Latin cirrus(curl fringe) and the Greek galeos (shark)

Biology & Physical Characteristics

• Immediately recognized by its tremendous, mandarin-like nasal barbels — the most conspicuous and distinctive feature of any shark in the family Squalidae Shark-References
• Ranges in color from grey to brown with a pale underside; many display a mottled pattern near the snout and along the dorsal side Wikipedia
• Two dorsal fins approximately equal in size, with prominent whitish edges and a large, thick spine along the front edge of each The Website of Everything
• Maximum length 126 cm; maturity reached at approximately 92 cm FishBase
• Depth range of 140–650 m; bathydemersal FishBase

Habitat & Distribution

• Found at depths of 140–650 m off southern Japan, Taiwan, and Indonesia (Bali and Lombok) Animalia
• Western Pacific: southeastern Honshu in Japan, New South Wales in Australia, New Zealand, and Torres Island in Vanuatu Shark-References
• Populations off Australia and New Zealand were formerly included in this species, but in 2007 were assigned to a new species — the Southern Mandarin Dogfish (C. australis) Animalia — making locality data essential for correct species attribution
• In 2013, two sharks caught near Rottnest Island off Western Australia in 2011 were confirmed as C. barbifer — representing a significant range extension and the first confirmed Australian record ResearchGate
• Found on the uppermost continental and insular slopes, and probably the outer continental-insular shelves FishBase

Diet & Behavior

• Probably feeds on bottom fishes and some invertebrates Shark-References
• Preferred habitat is not well documented due to the rarity of confirmed specimens and limited scientific sampling throughout its range

Reproduction

• Ovoviviparous with 10 young per litter (5 per uterus) Shark-References
• Embryos range in size from 213–233 mm at birth Animalia
• A gravid female recorded near Rottnest Island carried 22 embryos — the largest litter recorded for the species at the time, significantly expanding knowledge of its reproductive biology ResearchGate

Conservation Status

• Of no commercial fisheries interest; an incidental bycatch species with no directed targeting FishBase
• Population size and trends are essentially unknown due to the rarity of confirmed encounters and limited distribution data
• The 2007 split from C. australis and the 2013 Western Australia records underscore how incompletely understood this species' range and status remain

Misc. & Collector Facts

• Cirrhigaleus barbifer was established by Tanaka in 1912 based on a single male individual found in the Tokyo Fish Market, later identified as being from the Sagami Sea Wikipedia — type specimens from a single fish market visit form the entire basis of the species description
• Most Cirrhigaleus sharks are clearly separable from all other squalid sharks by the presence of conspicuous barbels on the anterior nasal flaps — a feature unique to the genus ResearchGate
• Together with C. asper (Roughskin Spurdog) and C. australis (Southern Mandarin Dogfish), C. barbifer completes the three-species Cirrhigaleus genus — making this jaw an extraordinary component of a genus-level display
• The jaw structure and dentition of a shark described from a single fish market specimen over a century ago, now confirmed from new localities, carries scientific weight that few private specimens can match
• "With data" includes collection locality — absolutely critical for a species whose range boundaries were still being redrawn as recently as 2013
• Dr. Gordon Hubbell provenance adds significant authentication and collectibility value
• Ideal for: Squaliformes and Squalidae collectors, Cirrhigaleus genus specialists, Western Pacific deepwater specimen enthusiasts, natural history and museum-quality displays