A new distribution record of the catshark Atelomycterus erdmanni (Scyliorhinidae: Carcharhiniformes) in Halmahera Sea, Eastern Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract The Halmahera Sea is one of Indonesia’s most biodiverse areas with 1,271 species of fishes, including endemic and endangered ones. The genus Atelomycterus (catshark) belongs to the Scyliorhinidae family, and is found in six different locations in the world. We obtained a shark specimen in July 2017 from the limit of the Kao Bay in the shallow waters of Bobale Island, North Halmahera Regency. We analyzed the DNA of this specimen to confirm the species of the sample according to its DNA sequences. The results were then compared to the database in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST). The results showed that the specimen’s DNA sequences have a 99% similarity with the DNA sequences of Atelomycterus erdmanni. This finding adds a new distribution record for this catshark in the Halmahera Sea, Maluku Province, Eastern Indonesia.