Yellowspotted Catshark

About the Yellowspotted Catshark

The yellowspotted catshark is a rare species of catshark found around the southern tip of Africa, in both the Indian and Pacific coasts. As its name indicates, it has several small yellow spots along its body. Its base colour is grey with some dark markings on its dorsal side. The underside is beige. Like all catsharks, these catsharks have elongated cat-like eyes. They have small flaps that cover the nostrils and two dorsal fins set far back, with the front being much larger than the back dorsal fin.

Yellowspotted catsharks are oviparous. They lay one egg at a time. Pups are born about 25 cm long and grow to be about 1 m long. In some rare cases, they can reach lengths of over 125 cm.

These sharks are near threatened because they’re caught as bycatch by the demersal hake trawl fisheries. They’re usually discarded but there are concerns that their populations can sustain the current level of fishing pressure.

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