Fishermen asked to keep watch for rare river shark Australias Northern Territory

According to an article in cairns.com.au,

fishermen can help scientists by keeping an eye out for a rare

river shark species (Glyphis garricki) which is named after its discoverer,

the ichthyologist Prof. J.A.F. Garrick of Victoria University, Wellington NZ.

This species grows up to 2,5 m long and inhabits the river systems of Australia’s Northern Territory.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is hoping to learn more

about the distribution of the rare shark, to provide a better protection from over-fishing and coastal development.

Most of the rare Northern Territory records have been made in Adelaide and Alligator Rivers.

Glyphis garricki is also known from localities in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

But CSIRO fish biologist Dr. Richard Pillans said:

„We do not know if they form one population, whether animals from PNG breed with animals from Australia” .