Australian Sawtail Catshark

Shark Database | Ground Sharks - Carcharhiniformes | Australian Sawtail Catshark

About the Australian Sawtail Catshark

The Australian sawtail catshark is a small catshark endemic to coasts of southern and western Australia. It lives at depths of 100 to 800 m and is found at or near the bottom.

These small sharks rarely grow to more than 60 cm. They’re long and thin and they’re main characteristic is a series of tooth-like scales on their tails. They’re light brown with about 12 dark saddles along their dorsal side and tail.

They feed on small bony fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. They’re also known to assemble in groups of the same sex. It’s possible that females and males live at different depths, like other catshark species do.

They’re oviparous and lay one egg at time. The eggs are about 7x9x2 cm. Young become mature when they’re about 40 cm long.

This species is abundant and is considered a species of least concern. The IUCN notes, however, that some populations are declining and must be monitored to prevent this shark to become threatened.

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Scientific Name Figaro boardmani
OrderGround Sharks - Carcharhiniformes
GenusFigaro
CitesNot Listed
IUCNLeast Concern
ReproductionOviparous
SizeSmall
Litter Size 1
Common Length 61.0cm
Max LenghtNA
Depth Range 128-823 m
DistributionEastern Indian Ocean, Southwest Pacific
EnvironmentBathydemersal