Author: Boulenger, 1902
Field Marks:
A houndshark with a blunt short snout, enlarged anterior nasal flaps that are expanded medially and posteriorly to cover mouth, nasoral grooves, molariform teeth, and the second dorsal fin about as large as first and much larger than the anal fin.
Diagnostic Features:
Snout short and broadly rounded in dorsoventral view, preoral length 0.7 to 0.9 times mouth width; eyes horizontally elongated and dorsolateral, subocular ridges strong; anterior nasal flaps triangular, greatly expanded posteriorly and medially, nearly meeting each other medially and overlapping mouth posteriorly; broad, shallow nasoral grooves present between excurrent apertures of nostrils and mouth; internarial width about half of nostril width; mouth broadly arched and short; labial furrows long, uppers reaching level of upper symphysis; teeth deep, blunt-crowned, molariform, and without cusps and cusplets; medial teeth not differentiated from anteroposteriors. First dorsal fin moderately large, base about 3/5 of dorsal caudal margin; its origin over pectoral inner margins or free rear tips, its midbase about equidistant between pectoral and pelvic bases or slightly closer to pelvic bases; second dorsal about as large as first, height over 3/4 as high as first; anal fin considerably smaller than second dorsal; ventral caudal lobe hardly developed in young but very short in adults; terminal lobe of caudal fin moderately long and about 2.8 to 3.2 times in dorsal caudal margin.
Geographical Distribution:
Western Indian Ocean: South Africa (Natal and northeastern Cape Province).
Habitat and Biology:
An inshore warm-temperate or subtropical shark of continental waters, found at the surfline and close offshore. Viviparous, with presence or absence of placenta uncertain; size of litters 2 to 4 (usually 2 or 3). Gestation period 9 to 10 months. Feeds primarily on crustaceans (including lobsters), also squid.
Size:
Maximum 102 cm, adult males 70 to 89 cm, adult females 80 to 102 cm; size at birth about 34 cm.
Interest to Fisheries:
None -or minimal, caught by surf anglers.
Type material:
Holotype: British Museum (Natural History), BMNH 1903.2.6.21, 340 mm immature male. Type Locality: Off rocks at Umkomaas, Natal, South Africa.