Author: (Dumeril, 1853)
Field Marks:
The bold, beautiful colour pattern of this shark is unmistakable: a unique, broad, dark, whitespotted collar around the gills, striking black marks on all fins, dark blotches and white spots on body; also, barbels, nasoral and circumnarial grooves, mouth in front of eyes, two equal-sized, spineless dorsal fins and an anal fin, and the first dorsal origin behind the pelvic bases.
Diagnostic Features:
Body clouded with irregular dark brown blotches and sprinkled with white spots; a blackish-brown, extremely conspicuous collar marking around the gill region, densely spotted with white like a necklace of pearls; bold black spots and blotches present on all fins.
Geographical Distribution:
Western South Pacific: Australia (Victoria, Tasmania, South and Western Australia).
Habitat and Biology:
A little-known, temperate-water, common bottom shark of the Australian continental shelf at depths down to about 165 m. Probably oviparous.
Size:
Maxiumum total length about 91 cm.
Interest to Fisheries:
Probably none at present.
Type material:
Holotype: Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, MNHN 1004, 380 mm female. Type Locality: Tasmania, Australia.