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Coral catshark (Atelomycterus marmoratus) — Scyliorhinidae

Coral catshark

Atelomycterus marmoratus
NT · Near Threatened

The Coral catshark (Atelomycterus marmoratus) is a saltwater fish of the family Scyliorhinidae that grows up to 70 cm.

Length
70 cm
Water
Saltwater
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Range
Indo-West Pacific; shallow coral reefs.
Edibility
Rarely eaten

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Description

The coral catshark is a small catshark (Scyliorhinidae) from the Indo-West Pacific. The species has a slender, elongate body with a pattern of black blotches and white spots and a narrow, flexible build that lets it crawl into narrow crevices. It inhabits shallow coral reefs, where it shelters in holes and crevices by day and forages at night. As a bottom predator it feeds on small fishes and invertebrates. It reproduces with egg capsules. Owing to fishing pressure the species is considered near threatened. It is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Coral catshark?

The Coral catshark has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a spots pattern. Slender, flexible body with black-and-white markings for creeping into reef crevices; oviparous, vulnerable to fishing.

Where does the Coral catshark live?

The Coral catshark lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground. Indo-West Pacific; shallow coral reefs.

How big does the Coral catshark get?

The Coral catshark grows to a maximum of about 70 cm.

Is the Coral catshark dangerous to humans?

No, the Coral catshark is harmless to humans. None required: this species is harmless to humans.

Is the Coral catshark edible?

The Coral catshark is rarely eaten.

More photos

Coral catshark (Atelomycterus marmoratus) — Scyliorhinidae — 2
iNaturalist ((c) Mike Krampf, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Coral catshark (Atelomycterus marmoratus) — Scyliorhinidae — 3
iNaturalist ((c) Sabine Templeton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Coral catshark (Atelomycterus marmoratus) — Scyliorhinidae — 4
iNaturalist ((c) Albert Kang, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Coral catshark (Atelomycterus marmoratus) — Scyliorhinidae — 5
iNaturalist ((c) Ingmar Rondeel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
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All data

Identification

English name
Coral catshark verified
Scientific name
Atelomycterus marmoratus
Family
Scyliorhinidae
Other names
Coral catshark; Dog fish; Marble catshark; Marbled cat shark; Marbled catshark verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
70.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Spots inferred
Tail shape
Straight inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Natural range
Indo-West Pacific; shallow coral reefs. inferred
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Diet (detail)
Small fishes and invertebrates sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred
Seasonality
Present year-round in its habitat; no pronounced seasonality known. inferred
Special features
Slender, flexible body with black-and-white markings for creeping into reef crevices; oviparous, vulnerable to fishing. sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Fishing with natural bait (fish, shrimp, worm) or lures close to reef and rock structures. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced
First aid
None required: this species is harmless to humans. sourced

Status & sources

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

More from the family Scyliorhinidae

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