This volume is a comprehensive, fully illustrated catalogue of the sharks, batoid fishes, and chimaeras of the Indian Ocean. It includes 10 orders, 23 families, 45 genera, and 78 species of cartilaginous fishes, providing accounts for all orders, families and genera, and all keys to taxa are fully illustrated.

"The present publication is the first of a two-volume set dedicated to the identification of deep-sea cartilaginous fishes known to occur in the Indian Ocean encompassing FAO fishing Areas 51 and 57, and that portion of Area 47 off South Africa from about 18A42'E to 30Aoo'E. It focuses on shark-like species, providing accounts for all orders, families, and genera and for one representative species of each genus. Moreover, fully illustrated keys to all taxa are included"--Vol. 1, page iii.

This guide includes a selection of species of relevance to fisheries as well as species that may be of research, educational and ecological importance. The Indian Ocean deep-sea chondrichthyan fauna is currently represented by 117 shark, 61 batoid and 17 chimaera species. This guide includes full species accounts for 36 shark species selected as being the more difficult to identify and/or commonly caught.

"This fully illustrated guide is designed to assist with the identification of a selection of deep-sea cartilaginous fishes of the Southeastern Atlantic Ocean and that portion of Southwestern Indian Ocean from 18°42'E to 30°00'E (FAO Fishing Area 47), that are of major, moderate or minor importance to fisheries. In this region, the deep--sea chondrichthyan fauna is currently represented by 50 shark, 20 batoid and 8 chimaera species. This guide includes full species accounts for 37 shark, 9 batoid and 4 chimaera species selected as being the more difficult to identify and/or commonly caught. Each species is described, depicted with a colour illustration and photo, and key distinguishing features of similar-looking species occurring in the same area are highlighted allowing for easy and accurate identification in the field. Keys to the shark and batoid orders and families, together with keys to chimaera and skate genera are also provided. This guide is intended to help fishery workers collecting catch data in the field in the identification of the cartilaginous fish species they might encounter. It is conceived to be updatable, offering the possibility to add new species accounts as new species are described."--Publisher's description.

This volume is a comprehensive, fully illustrated Catalogue of the Sharks, Batoid Fishes, and Chimaeras of the southeastern Pacific Ocean, encompassing FAO Fishing Area 87. The present volume includes 8 orders, 17 families, 39 genera, and 66 species of cartilaginous fishes occurring in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. It provides accounts for all orders, families, genera and species, and all keys to taxa are fully illustrated