The Parascylliidae, or collared carpet sharks are a family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 of sharks. They are only found in shallow waters of the western Pacific.

They are relatively small sharks, with the largest species reaching no more than 91 centimetres (3 ft) in adult length. They have elongated, slender, bodies, cat-like eyes, and barbel

Barbel (anatomy)

A barbel on a fish is a slender, whiskerlike tactile organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, sturgeon, the zebrafish and some species of shark...

s behind the chin. They feed on small fish and invertebrates.

Genera and species

There are eight species of collared carpet shark, in two genera:

Family Parascylliidae

• Genus Cirrhoscyllium
  Cirrhoscyllium
  Cirrhoscyllium is a genus of Carpetsharks in the family Parascylliidae. It currently contains the following species:* Cirrhoscyllium expolitum H. M. Smith & Radcliffe, 1913...
  
  H. M. Smith
  Hugh McCormick Smith
  Hugh McCormick Smith was an American ichthyologist and administrator in the Bureau of Fisheries.-Biography:...
  
   & Radcliffe
  Lewis Radcliffe
  Lewis Radcliffe was a naturalist, malacologist, and ichthyologist. He was Deputy Commissioner of the United States Bureau of Fisheries until 1932 and was the assistant naturalist under Hugh McCormick Smith for the 1907-1910 Philippines Expedition. During his life, he described numerous new species...
  
  , 1913
  • Cirrhoscyllium expolitum H. M. Smith
    Hugh McCormick Smith
    Hugh McCormick Smith was an American ichthyologist and administrator in the Bureau of Fisheries.-Biography:...
    
     & Radcliffe
    Lewis Radcliffe
    Lewis Radcliffe was a naturalist, malacologist, and ichthyologist. He was Deputy Commissioner of the United States Bureau of Fisheries until 1932 and was the assistant naturalist under Hugh McCormick Smith for the 1907-1910 Philippines Expedition. During his life, he described numerous new species...
    
    , 1913 (Barbelthroat carpetshark)
  • Cirrhoscyllium formosanum Teng, 1959 (Taiwan saddled carpetshark)
  • Cirrhoscyllium japonicum Kamohara, 1943 (Saddle carpetshark)
• Genus Parascyllium
  Parascyllium
  Parascyllium is a genus of Carptesharks in the family Parascylliidae. It currently contains the following species:* Parascyllium collare E. P. Ramsay & Ogilby, 1888...
  
  Gill
  Theodore Gill
  Theodore Nicholas Gill was an American ichthyologist, mammalogist, malacologist and librarian.Born and educated in New York City under private tutors, Gill early showed interest in natural history. He was associated with J...
  
  , 1862
  • Parascyllium collare E. P. Ramsay
    Edward Pierson Ramsay
    Edward Pierson Ramsay was an Australian zoologist who specialised in ornithology.-Early life:Pierson was born in Dobroyd Estate, Long Cove, Sydney and educated at St Mark's Collegiate School, The King's School, Parramatta...
    
     & Ogilby
    James Douglas Ogilby
    James Douglas Ogilby was an Australian ichthyologist.Ogilby was born in Belfast, Ireland, and was the son of zoologist William Ogilby. He received his education at Winchester College, England, and Trinity College, Dublin.Ogilby worked for the British Museum before joining the Australian Museum in...
    
    , 1888 (Collared carpetshark)
  • Parascyllium elongatum Last & Stevens, 2008 (Elongate carpetshark)
  • Parascyllium ferrugineum McCulloch
    Alan Riverstone McCulloch
    Alan Riverstone McCulloch was a prominent Australian ichthyologist.McCulloch was born in Sydney, and began his scientific career at the age of 13 as an unpaid assistant to Edgar Ravenswood Waite in the Australian Museum there; Waite encouraged McCulloch to study zoology...
    
    , 1911 (Rusty carpetshark)
  • Parascyllium sparsimaculatum T. Goto & Last, 2002 (Ginger carpetshark)
  • Parascyllium variolatum (A. H. A. Duméril, 1853) (Necklace carpetshark)