Rafael-Claus Pichler

Mr. Rafael-Claus Pichler


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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10 October 2026 in Fishes
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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RPRafael-Claus Pichler
Rafael-Claus Pichler
Jürgen KriwetJürgen Kriwet
Jürgen Kriwet
MFMollen Frederik
Mollen Frederik
MSManuel Andreas Staggl
Manuel Andreas Staggl
Orectolobiform sharks are predominantly benthic, and members of the genus Hemiscyllium are further distinguished by a unique walking locomotion driven by coordinated movements of the paired pectoral and pelvic fins. Although this locomotion has been described repeatedly in the epaulette shark, Hemiscyllium ocellatum (Bonnaterre, 1788), a morphological framework linking musculoskeletal structures to these movement patterns is still lacking. Here, we combine manual dissection with diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT) to describe the cranial and locomotory musculature and the associated skeletal system of H. ocellatum, with particular emphasis on the pectoral, pelvic and dorsal fin musculature and adjacent axial structures. Both the pectoral and pelvic fins possess a well-developed musculature with robust skeletal support, consistent with a weight-bearing role during substrate-based locomotion. Although not in contact with the substrate, the dorsal fins possess a likewise well-developed and clearly differentiated musculature, the musculi inclinatores dorsales, suggesting a functional specialisation beyond passive stabilisation. These findings expand current knowledge of locomotor adaptations in orectolobiform sharks and establish a morphological basis for future comparative and functional studies on fin-assisted locomotion in neoselachians. They may further provide insight into morphological adaptations analogous to the fin-to-limb transition in early tetrapods.