Family: |
Scyliorhinidae (Cat sharks), subfamily: Scyliorhininae |
Max. size: |
101 cm TL (male/unsexed); 93 cm TL (female) |
Environment: |
demersal; marine; depth range 0 - 100 m |
Distribution: |
Southeast Atlantic: endemic to South Africa (Ref. 12484). There are old records from Madagascar and Mauritius, but these require confirmation (Ref. 244). |
Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 0-0. A large catshark with short nasal barbels and long horizontal black stripes (Ref. 5578). |
Biology: |
Occurs in the continental shelf, both inshore and offshore (Ref. 5578). Prefers rocky reefs from the intertidal zone down to 100 m depth (Ref. 5578). Nocturnal, often found in caves and crevices during the day (Ref. 5578). Feeds mainly on crustaceans, but also bony fish and cephalopods (Ref. 244). Oviparous (Ref. 50449). Readily kept in captivity (Ref. 244). |
IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 01 August 2019 Ref. (130435)
|
Threat to humans: |
harmless |
Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.