Author: Springer, 1966
Field Marks:
A fairly small, slender, dark-saddled catshark with large, white spots covering saddles but usually with light spaces between saddles, no black spots, small anterior nasal flaps that end in front of mouth, no nasoral grooves, labial furrows on lower jaw only, second dorsal fin much smaller than first.
Diagnostic Features:
Head and body relatively deep, slender and narrow; greatest width of head about 2/3 of head length; no nasoral grooves; anterior nasal flaps not expanded and falling just short of mouth. First dorsal origin somewhat behind pelvic insertion; second dorsal origin somewhat anterior to anal insertion; interdorsal space slightly greater or slightly less than anal base. Denticles small and flat, surface of skin relatively smooth. Colour pattern of 7 or 8 dusky saddles densely covered with large light spots at least as large as eye pupil, these sometimes extending to spaces between saddles; no black spots. Size moderate, adults below 50 cm.
Geographical Distribution:
Western North Atlantic: Honduras, ?Panama, Colombia.
Habitat and Biology:
An uncommon deepwater tropical cat-shark of the upper continental slope of Atlantic Central America, on or near bottom, at depths of 274 to 457 m.
Size:
Maximum at least 47 cm (adult female).
Interest to Fisheries:
None at present.
Remarks:
This species was synonymized with S. retifer by Springer and Sadowsky (1970), and included under S. retifer boa, but was resurrected as a full species by Springer (1979).
Type material:
Holotype: U.S. National Museum, USNM 187732, 415 mm immature female. Type Locality: Western North Atlantic, Caribbean coast of Panama, 09°03'N, 81°22'W, from 360 to 400 m depth.