Author: (Zeitz, 1908)
Field Marks:
Simple colour pattern of small, densely scattered white spots on chocolate-brown, mottled back, sides and fins, light and unspotted below, head rather narrow and not greatly flattened, snout narrowly parabolic, short to moderately long, and rounded but not pointed or upturned, nostrils well separated from each other and from mouth, without nasoral grooves, eyes close to horizontal head rim, gill slits lateral, labial furrows short but present on both jaws, claspers of males with apron formed from fused pelvic inner margins, dorsal fins equally large, with origin of first over or behind pelvic insertions, anal fin somewhat larger than second dorsal fin and with its base partly in front of second dorsal base, no supracaudal crests of denticles, cranium without supraorbital crests.
Diagnostic Features:
Snout often more parabolic. Claspers very slender, elongated, and blunt-tipped. Colour pattern of back and sides of densely scattered small white spots on chocolate-brown mottled background, liaht bblow.
Geographical Distribution:
Western South Pacific: Australia (Victoria, Tasmania, South and southern Western Australia).
Habitat and Biology:
A widespread, little-known bottomdwelling catshark, on the temperate Australian continental shelf and slope edge, at or near bottom at depths of 27 to 220 m. Oviparous; lays a single egg-case to each oviduct at a time. Size of egg-cases 5 cm long by 2 cm wide, with long filaments.
Size:
Maximum about 61 cm, adult males 51 cm, adult females 45 to 53 cm.
Interest to Fisheries:
None at present, taken by bottom trawlers.
Type material:
Syntypes: South Australian Museum. Type Locality: Investigator Strait and Kangaroo Island, South Australia.