Yellowspotted catshark facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yellowspotted catshark
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Order:	Carcharhiniformes
Family:	Scyliorhinidae
Genus:	Scyliorhinus
Species:	S. capensis
Binomial name
Scyliorhinus capensis (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1838)
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The yellowspotted catshark (Scyliorhinus capensis) is a special kind of catshark. It belongs to a group of sharks called Scyliorhinidae. You can find it in the southeast Atlantic Ocean. It lives off the coasts of Namibia and South Africa. This shark can grow to be about 1.22 meters (4 feet) long. It lays eggs to have its babies.

What Does the Yellowspotted Catshark Look Like?

The yellowspotted catshark has a long, thin body. Its skin feels rough. Its top side is light grey. It has many small, golden-yellow spots. You can also see eight or nine dark patches on its back. These patches go across its spine. Its belly is a creamy white color.

It has small flaps over its nostrils. These flaps do not reach its mouth. The shark has two triangular fins on its back. The front fin is much bigger than the back one.

Where Does the Yellowspotted Catshark Live?

The yellowspotted catshark lives in the seas around southern Africa. It can be found at depths down to about 500 meters (1,640 feet). Its home stretches from Lüderitz in Namibia to central Natal in South Africa.

This shark is quite common off the coast of South Africa. However, it is found less often in the warmer waters of Namibia and Natal. In those areas, it tends to live in deeper parts of the ocean. While it can be seen over sandy areas, it also likes to hang out around rocky reefs.

What Does the Yellowspotted Catshark Eat and How Does It Reproduce?

The yellowspotted catshark enjoys eating small fish. It also hunts for crustaceans, like crabs and shrimp. Squid are another favorite food for this shark.

This shark is an egg-laying species. It lays one egg at a time. Each egg is protected inside a special egg case. This case is about 8 centimeters (3 inches) long and 3 centimeters (1 inch) wide. When the baby sharks hatch, they are about 25 centimeters (10 inches) long. Adult sharks can grow up to 1.22 meters (4 feet) long. Most yellowspotted catsharks are less than a meter (3 feet) long. These sharks are more often found near rocky reefs than on sandy seabeds.

Why Is the Yellowspotted Catshark "Near Threatened"?

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) keeps a list of animals that are at risk. They have listed the yellowspotted catshark as "Near Threatened". This means it could become endangered in the future.

The yellowspotted catshark lives in offshore waters where there is a big fishing industry for hake. Sometimes, these catsharks get caught by accident in fishing nets. This is called bycatch. When they are caught this way, they are often thrown back into the ocean. Scientists worry that the sharks are not having enough babies to replace the ones that are caught. This could threaten the future of the yellowspotted catshark species.