Author: Richardson, 1843
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, numerous dark close-set spots forming a reticular pattern, a conspicuous white-ringed large black ocellus on flanks above pectoral fins, partly surrounded by smaller black spots, no black hood.
Diagnostic Features:
Body stouter and snout less swollen and elongated than H. ocellatum. Colour pattern of densely clustered large and small dark spots, forming a light reticular pattern with the background colour; head without a dark hood, flanks above pectoral fins with a large black spot, rimmed with white in the form of a conspicuous ocellus; ocellus partly rimmed posteriorly by a few large black spots; no large white spots on sides; colour pattern of sides of tail continued onto ventral surface in the form of dark crossbands.
Geographical Distribution:
Western South Pacific: ? Indonesia (Moluccas), Australia (northern and Western Australia, Queensland).
Habitat and Biology:
A common, small, harmless tropical continental shelf shark that is found on coral reefs in shallow water.
Size:
Adult males 57 to 64 cm total length, appparently a smaller species than H. ocellatum.
Interest to Fisheries:
None at present.
Type material:
Holotype: British Museum, Natural History, 580 mm adult male. Type Locality: Turtle Island, northwestern Australia.