Grey Spotted Catshark

About the Grey Spotted Catshark

The Grey Spotted Catshark, sometimes called the Australian Spotted Catshark, is a catshark of the family Pentanchidae, found only around Australia.

Biology and Description

The Grey Spotted Catshark has a long and rounded body with a flattened head and pointed snout. It has lateral gill slits, and there are no ridges above the eyes. This species reaches about 61 cm (24.0 in) in length, and both sexes mature at about 46 to 49 cm (18.1–19.3 in). Its reproductive mode is single oviparity, paired eggs are laid and embryos feed solely on the yolk. It appears to be reproductively active year-round.

Habitat

The Grey Spotted Catshark is demersal on the continental shelf, where it occurs at depths of 25 to 200 m (82–656 ft).

Conservation

This species is not targeted commercially. However, it is caught as bycatch at low levels in several fisheries across its range, including otter trawl, Danish seine, longline, prawn trawl, and trap-and-line fisheries. There are currently no management measures in place for this species and it is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

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