Author: (Quoy and Gaimard, 1824)
Field Marks:
Mouth well in front of eyes, spineless dorsal fins far posterior on tail, extremely elongated thick precaudal tail, long and low anal fin just anterior to caudal fin, dark wide-spaced spots, a moderately large black spot on flanks above pectoral fins, no black hood.
Diagnostic Features:
Body somewhat stouter and snout less swollen and greatly elongated than in H. Ocellatum. Colour pattern of scattered large and small dark spots, not close-set and not forming a light reticular pattern with the background colour; head without a dark hood, flanks above pectoral fins with a moderately large black spot, not formed into a conspicuous ocellus; no large white spots on sides; no dark crossbands on ventral surface of tail.
Geographical Distribution:
Western South Pacific: Indonesia (Irian Jaya, Waigeo), Papua New Guinea.
Habitat and Biology:
A little-known bottom shark, probably common on coral reefs.
Size:
To at least 46 cm total length.
Interest to Fisheries:
None at present.
Type material:
Syntypes: Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, MNHN A. 7792, two, 250 and 300 mm. Type Locality: Waigiu (Waigeo), Indonesia.