Common names
Pejegato moteado, Holbiche à gorge tachetée, African spotted catshark, Punctate dogfish, Spotted catshark, Spotted dogfish, White-spotted Izak, Pata-roxa africana

Short Description
A broad-headed, dwarf catshark with small dark brown spots closely set on a yellow-brown or orange-brown background; small black pores on underside of head and body; no labial furrows [536].

Distribution
Western Indian Ocean: endemic to the subtropical and tropical waters of southwestern Indian Ocean, southern Mozambique, off Natal, South Africa and off Madagascar (Ref. 75585). Status of threat: a common catch in bottom trawls in Natal and southern Mozambique, yet, despite recent biodiversity trawl surveys in that region, not a single specimen has been collected from this area since 1972. ORI data sheets confirm that specimens collected between 1964 and 1972 were apparently abundant, particularly off Mozambique in May 1969, and off Durban in June 1971. The only specimens of this species that have been collected since this date have been those from Madagascar in the late 1980?s and early 1990?s (Ref. 75585). Source: www.gbif.org

Human uses
fisheries: of no interest

Biology
Oviparous, with one egg-case laid per oviduct at a time. Embryos feed solely on yolk [733]. Partial sexual segregation is manifested by greater number of males than females off Natal but not off southern Mozambique. Found on the uppermost continental slopes. Feeds on small fishes, crustaceans, and cephalopods.

Size / Weight / Age
35.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 5510)); 26 cm TL (female)

Habitat
bathydemersal; marine; depth range 220 - 440 m (Ref. 5510)

Remarks
shark-references Species-ID=2943;