First Report of Near Threatened Arabian Carpetshark, Chiloscyllium arabicum Gubanov, 1980, from Narmada Estuary, India

Near Threatened Chiloscyllium arabicum Gubanov, 1980 was recorded for the first time from Bhadbhut in the Narmada estuary, India during February 2020. The total length and fork length of the specimens was 461–505 mm and 436–485 mm, respectively. It is a reef-associated subtropical oceanodromous species, found on rocky shores and mangroves, and it occasionally enters estuaries. It is a typical bottom-species shark reproducing through oviparity. This shark predominantly feeds on squids, mollusks, crustaceans, and snake eels, and has limited value as fisheries due to its smaller size. According to the IUCN Red List Status, this species falls under the Near Threatened category necessitating conservation of the species through suitable management measures.