Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks) > Scyliorhinidae (Cat sharks) > Scyliorhininae
Etymology: Poroderma: poros (Gr.), hole or passage; derma (Gr.), skin or hide, allusion not explained nor evident (Smith proposed name without a description). (See ETYFish); pantherinum: Latin for leopard-like, referring to its variable leopard-like spots, stripes and blotches. (See ETYFish).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 256 m (Ref. 5578). Subtropical; 28°S - 36°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Southeast Atlantic: Saldanha to central Natal, South Africa.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 84.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 244); 73.0 cm TL (female)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0. A stocky shark with long nasal barbels and a highly variable color pattern of black spots, rings and lines in horizontal rows on a grey to whitish background; white below (Ref. 5578). There are 3 different forms, the typical 'pantherinum' with lines and rosettes of spots, and two extreme forms, 'marleyi' with large dark spots (formerly considered a separate species), and 'salt and pepper' with small, densely packed black spots, intermediates between these extremes are extremely common (Ref. 5578).

Found on or near the bottom of warm-temperate waters, from the intertidal zone to 256 m (Ref. 5578). Prefers rocky reefs (Ref. 5578). Nocturnal (Ref. 244). Feeds on small bony fish, crustaceans, octopus and polychaete worms (Ref. 5578). Oviparous (Ref. 50449). Readily kept in captivity (Ref. 244).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Oviparous, produces one egg per oviduct (Ref. 5578). Embryos feed solely on yolk (Ref. 50449).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Compagno, Leonard J.V. | Collaborators

Compagno, L.J.V., D.A. Ebert and M.J. Smale, 1989. Guide to the sharks and rays of southern Africa. New Holland (Publ.) Ltd., London. 158 p. (Ref. 5578)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 126983)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 01 August 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; gamefish: yes

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Internet sources

Poroderma pantherinum (Smith, 1838)