Leopard catshark

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Leopard catshark
Leopard catshark photographed at a reef at False Bay in Cape Town, South Africa

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Subdivision: Selachimorpha
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Scyliorhinidae
Genus: Poroderma
Species:
P. pantherinum
Binomial name
Poroderma pantherinum
Range of the leopard catshark
Synonyms

Poroderma marleyi Fowler, 1934
Poroderma submaculatum A. Smith, 1838
Scyllium leopardinum* J. P. Müller & Henle, 1838
Scyllium maeandrinum J. P. Müller & Henle, 1838
Scyllium pantherinum J. P. Müller & Henle, 1838
Scyllium variegatum J. P. Müller & Henle, 1838

* ambiguous synonym

The leopard catshark (Poroderma pantherinum) is a

kelp beds, and sandy flats. Growing to a length of 84 cm (33 in), the leopard catshark has a stout body with two dorsal fins
placed well back, and a short head and tail. It is extremely variable in color and pattern, with individuals ranging from almost white to black and covered by diverse patterns of black spots, blotches, rosettes, and/or lines. The color pattern changes with age and some forms seem to be location-specific, suggesting the presence of multiple distinct, local populations. In the past, some of the more distinct color forms have been described as different species.

Mainly

oviparous and proceeds year-round. Females produce rectangular, light-colored egg capsules two at a time, attaching them to structures on the sea floor. Small and harmless, the leopard catshark adapts well to captivity and is often exhibited in public aquariums. It is caught by commercial and recreational fishers as bycatch, and often killed as a pest. The International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) has listed this species as least concern; its numbers do not seem to be declining, but heavy human activity occurs within its native waters. The possibly fragmented nature of its distribution also merits caution for each local population.

Taxonomy

Profile view of a leopard catshark, from Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa (1838).

Because of its highly variable color pattern, the leopard catshark has historically been known under a multitude of names. In an 1837 issue of Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, Scottish physician and

zoologist Andrew Smith listed without descriptions the new genus Poroderma, containing the species P. africanum (the pyjama shark), P. pantherinum, P. submaculatum, and P. variegatum.[2] German biologists Johannes Peter Müller and Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle assigned these sharks to the genus Scyllium, and in their 1838–1841 Systematische Beschreibung der Plagiostomen furnished descriptions for S. pantherinum and S. variegatum, and listed two more names without description, S. leopardinum and S. maeandrinum.[3] In 1934, American zoologist Henry Weed Fowler described P. marleyi, characterized by large black spots.[4]

Subsequent authors have recognized these names as based on pattern variants of the leopard catshark; resolving the identity of P. marleyi proved especially problematic and it was not confirmed to be a

type specimen, a 65 cm (26 in) long female collected off the Cape of Good Hope.[5][7] Other common names for this shark include barbeled catshark and blackspotted catshark.[8]

Distribution and habitat

The leopard catshark inhabits the

continental slope.[5][7] This species favors rocky reefs, kelp forests, and sandy flats off beaches.[1]

Description

A small pale shark patterned with large black spots being held by a human hand
A leopard catshark, showing a spotted pattern; the color patterns of this species are notably diverse.

The leopard catshark is the smaller and slimmer of the two Poroderma species. The head and snout are short and slightly flattened, with a somewhat pointed snout tip. Each nostril is split into tiny incurrent and excurrent openings by a three-lobed flap of skin in front, of which the central lobe forms a slender barbel that reaches past the mouth. The horizontally oval eyes are equipped with rudimentary nictitating membranes (protective third eyelids) and placed rather high on the head, with a thick ridge running under each. The mouth is wide and arched, with short furrows at the corners extending onto both jaws; the upper teeth are exposed when the mouth is closed. There are 18–30 and 13–26 tooth rows on either side of the upper and lower jaws respectively. The teeth have a narrow central cusp with a pair of small lateral cusplets; those of adult males are slightly more curved than those of females.[5][7]

The body is rather laterally compressed and tapers towards the tail, with two

dermal denticles. Each denticle has an arrowhead-shaped crown with three posterior points, mounted on a short stalk.[5][7]

The background color of the leopard catshark ranges from off-white to glossy jet black above and white to almost black below, sometimes with an abrupt transition between the two. Overlaid is a striking pattern of black markings variously combining small to large spots, blotches, complete to incomplete rosettes, and/or short to long lines, that may extend almost to the midline of the belly. There are four named forms: 'typical', with

paedomorphosis, in which in the hatchling pattern is carried into adulthood. Color pattern is also related to geographic location, with the 'marleyi' and 'salt and pepper' forms apparently restricted to the waters off the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. The leopard catshark reaches a maximum known length of 84 cm (33 in) and a maximum known weight of 3.2 kg (7.1 lb); males grow slightly larger than females.[5]

Biology and ecology

The slow-swimming leopard catshark generally spends the day resting inside caves or crevices, either alone or in groups. At night, it moves towards the shore to actively forage for small

chokka squid (Loligo vulgaris reynaudi), which occur unpredictably year-round with a peak from October to December. The sharks lie motionless amongst the squids' egg masses with their heads hidden, and make sudden lunges at female squid that have descended to the sea floor to attach their eggs.[12]

A light, flask-shaped egg case with the yellow yolk visible within, lying amongst coral branches
The leopard catshark produces light-colored egg capsules that it attaches to underwater structures.

The leopard catshark is

maximum lifespan as at least 15 years, while another source gives at least 19 years.[1]

gills.[17]

Human interactions

Pattern on head of wind-dried specimen
View of head showing prominent nostrils and barbels

Quite common within its range,[10] the leopard catshark is harmless to humans. It is a popular subject of public aquariums because of its small size, attractive appearance, and hardiness.[15] The aquarium trade supports a minor fishery that targets the two Poroderma species.[5] This shark is regularly caught incidentally by commercial and recreational fishers, and almost invariably discarded despite being edible. Nevertheless, fishing mortality is likely to be high as many fishers using line gear make a point to kill hooked sharks, seeing them as pests that "steal" bait.[5][10] The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) presently assesses the leopard catshark as least concern, though notes that its inshore habitat is heavily fished and otherwise impacted by human activity. The possible distribution of this shark across many small, distinct populations also warrants additional investigation and monitoring.[1]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T161515A124498131.en
    . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ Smith, A. (1837). "On the necessity for a revision of the groups included in the Linnean genus Squalus". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1837 (5): 85–86.
  3. ^ Müller, J.; Henle, J. (1838). Systematische Beschreibung der Plagiostomen. Verlag von Veitund Comp. pp. 13–14.
  4. ^ Fowler, H. W. (January 20, 1934). "Descriptions of new fishes obtained 1907 to 1910, chiefly in the Philippine Islands and adjacent seas". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 85: 233–367.
  5. ^
    doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1229.1.1
    .
  6. ^ Eschmeyer, W.N., ed. pantherinum, Scyllium Archived 2012-03-05 at the Wayback Machine. Catalog of Fishes electronic version (May 6, 2010). Retrieved on May 18, 2010.
  7. ^
    ISBN 92-5-101384-5
    .
  8. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2010). "Poroderma pantherinum" in FishBase. May 2010 version.
  9. ISBN 0-930118-18-9
    .
  10. ^
    ISBN 1868253945
    .
  11. ^ Lechanteur, Y.A.R.G.; Griffiths, C.L. (October 2003). "Diets of common suprabenthic reef fish in False Bay, South Africa". African Zoology. 38 (2): 213–227.
  12. S2CID 85274789
    .
  13. ^
    doi:10.1080/02541858.1997.11448441
    .
  14. doi:10.2989/025776191784287547
    .
  15. ^ a b Bester, C. Biological Profiles: Leopard Catshark. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department. Retrieved on May 18, 2010.
  16. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1451.1.1
    .
  17. PMID 12194487
    .

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leopard catshark.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leopard_catshark&oldid=1189457414"