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Tiger catshark (Halaelurus natalensis) — Scyliorhinidae

Tiger catshark

Halaelurus natalensis

The Tiger catshark (Halaelurus natalensis) is a saltwater fish of the family Scyliorhinidae that grows up to 45 cm.

Length
45 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–172.0 m
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The tiger catshark is a small catshark (Scyliorhinidae) from coastal waters of southern Africa. The species grows to about 45 cm and has a slender, yellow-brown body with numerous dark crossbars and spots, like a tiger, and an upturned snout tip. As a bottom-dweller it lives on sand and reef bottoms of shallow coastal water and hunts small fish, crustaceans and molluscs. It lays egg capsules. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Tiger catshark?

The Tiger catshark has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly yellow-gold and shows a vertical stripes pattern.

Where does the Tiger catshark live?

The Tiger catshark lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Tiger catshark get?

The Tiger catshark grows to a maximum of about 45 cm.

Is the Tiger catshark dangerous to humans?

No, the Tiger catshark is harmless to humans.

Is the Tiger catshark edible?

The Tiger catshark is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Tijger-kathaai sourced
English name
Tiger catshark sourced
Scientific name
Halaelurus natalensis
Family
Scyliorhinidae
Other names
Tiger catshark verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
45.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Yellow / gold sourced
Pattern
Vertical bars sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
172.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten inferred
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Halaelurus

More from the family Scyliorhinidae

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