Striped catshark

Taxobox
name = Striped catshark
status = LR/nt | status_system = IUCN2.3
trend =


image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Chondrichthyes
subclassis = Elasmobranchii
ordo = Carcharhiniformes
familia = Scyliorhinidae
genus = "Poroderma"
species = "P. africanum"
binomial = "Poroderma africanum"
binomial_authority = (Gmelin, 1789)

The striped catshark, "Poroderma africanum", is a finback catshark of the family Scyliorhinidae, endemic to the coast of South Africa, from the surface to 100 m. Its length is up to 1 m.

The striped catshark is a large catshark with short nasal barbels and long horizontal black stripes, occurring on the continental shelf, both inshore and offshore. It prefers rocky reefs from the intertidal zone down to 100 m depth, and is nocturnal, often found in caves and crevices during the day. It feeds mainly on crustaceans, but also takes bony fish and cephalopods. It is readily kept in captivity.

Reproduction is oviparous.

References

*
* Compagno, Dando, & Fowler, "Sharks of the World", Princeton University Press, New Jersey 2005 ISBN 0-691-12072-2