African spotted catshark

Taxobox
name = African spotted catshark
status =
trend =


image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Chondrichthyes
subclassis = Elasmobranchii
ordo = Carcharhiniformes
familia = Scyliorhinidae
genus = Holohalaelurus
species = "H. punctatus"
binomial = "Holohalaelurus punctatus"
binomial_authority = (Gilchrist, 1914)The African spotted catshark, "Holohalaelurus punctatus", is a cat shark of the family Scyliorhinidae, found in the western Indian Ocean off Natal, South Africa, southern Mozambique, Madagascar, Kenya and Tanzania between latitudes 4° S and 37° S, at depths of between 220 and 440 m. Its length is up to 35 cm.

The African spotted catshark is a broad-headed, dwarf catshark, with small black pores on the underside of head and body, but no labial furrows. It is found on the uppermost continental slopes, feeding on small fishes, crustaceans, and cephalopods. The adult males are larger than females, a characteristic unusual among sharks.

Coloration is small dark brown spots closely set on a yellow-brown or orange-brown background.

Reproduction is oviparous.

ee also

* List of sharks

References

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