length), broad, and flattened. The snout is very short and blunt, with the nostrils preceded by laterally enlarged flaps of skin. The eyes are horizontally oval or slit-like and placed high on the head, with cat-like pupils and rudimentary nictitating eyelids. A broad ridge occurs beneath each eye, and a spiracle behind. The mouth is very large and wide, containing numerous small, multicusped teeth; the upper teeth are exposed when the mouth is closed (except in C. silasi). No furrows are found at the corners of the mouth. The pectoral fins are generally large and broad, and the pelvic fins are small. The two dorsal fins are placed far back on the body: the first dorsal fin originates behind the pelvic fin origins, while the second dorsal fin is positioned about opposite the anal fin. The first dorsal and anal fins are much larger than the second dorsal fin. The tail is short; the caudal fin is broad with a distinct lower lobe and a strong ventral notch near the tip of the upper lobe. The skin is thick and covered by well-calcified dermal denticles. The coloration is typically grayish or brownish, with a variety of patterns that include saddles, blotches, reticulations, and/or spots. In several species, the juveniles differ substantially in coloration from the adults. Cephaloscyllium species generally fall into two size groups: dwarf species include C. fasciatum and C. silasi, which are under long, and large species include C. umbratile and C. ventriosum, which may exceed in length. Biology and ecology Members of the genus Cephaloscyllium are generally slow-moving, sedentary animals with an anguilliform (eel-like) mode of swimming. Of the species whose diets have been documented, they have been known to feed on a wide variety of benthic organisms, including other sharks and rays, bony fishes, crustaceans, and molluscs. Swellsharks are perhaps best known for their ability to inflate themselves by rapidly swallowing water or air when threatened; this behavior may allow them to wedge themselves inside crevices, make themselves harder to swallow, and/or intimidate a would-be predator. Reproduction is oviparous, with females producing two eggs at a time, one in each oviduct. Individual eggs are enclosed in a flask-shaped capsules with tendrils at the corners that allow them to be attached to underwater structures. Human interactions Swellsharks are harmless to humans and generally of no economic value, but are susceptible to being caught as bycatch in artisanal