Leopard catshark

Taxobox
name = Leopard catshark
status =
trend =


image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Chondrichthyes
subclassis = Elasmobranchii
ordo = Carcharhiniformes
familia = Proscylliidae
genus = "Poroderma"
species = "P. pantherinum"
binomial = "Poroderma pantherinum"
binomial_authority = (Müller & Henle, 1838)

The leopard catshark, "Poroderma pantherinum", is a finback catshark of the family Proscylliidae, found in the southeast Atlantic Ocean endemic to South Africa, from the surface to 255 m. Its length is up to 84 cm.

The leopard catshark is a stocky shark with long nasal barbels, found on or near the bottom of warm-temperate waters, from the intertidal zone to 255 m, preferring rocky reefs. It is nocturnal, feeding on small bony fish, crustaceans, octopus and polychaete worms. It is readily kept in captivity.

Coloration is a highly variable colour pattern of black spots, rings and lines in horizontal rows on a grey to whitish background, and white below. 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.

Reproduction is oviparous.

References

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