Genus: Scyliorhinus, Catsharks, Spotted Cat Shark

SCYLIORHINUS

CATSHARKS

Body moderately stout to slender, tapering to tail fin; head slightly depressed, rounded in profile; a crest over eye; eye a horizontal oval; snout short; front nostril flap without barbel; lip furrows on lower jaws only; 5 gill slits, last 2 over pectoral; two large dorsal fins, second much smaller than first; origin of first over last half of pelvic base to rear tip of fin; origin of second dorsal over last third of anal fin base to behind anal fin insertion; pelvic and anal fins small; tail asymmetric, moderately long, its base without a keel, no crest of denticles along margins; color extremely variable, ranging from simple dark saddles, dark bars, or large dark spots on a light background to combinations of light and dark spots and saddles.