Leopard catshark: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the leopard catshark lives – recorded in 1 country, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Poroderma pantherinum
Group	Sharks
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	1 country
Continents	Africa
Class	Cartilaginous fish
Order	Carcharhiniformes
Family	Scyliorhinidae

Where does the leopard catshark live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the leopard catshark in 1 country or territory across Africa.

South Africa

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the leopard catshark endangered?

The leopard catshark’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the leopard catshark?

The leopard catshark (Poroderma pantherinum) is a cartilaginous fish in the order Carcharhiniformes and the family Scyliorhinidae, genus Poroderma. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the leopard catshark

The leopard catshark (Poroderma pantherinum) is a species of catshark, and part of the family Scyliorhinidae, endemic to the coastal waters of South Africa. Abundant in inshore waters under 20 m (66 ft) deep, this bottom-dweller favors rocky reefs, 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.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Leopard catshark (revision 1366344899), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q3020517 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).