Australian Sawtail Catshark

The maximum known length of the Australian sawtail catshark is 61 cm (24 in). Its slender body is firm and nearly cylindrical in cross-section. The snout is rather short and narrow, with a somewhat angular profile from above. The eyes are horizontally oval and equipped with rudimentary nictitating membranes (protective third eyelids). Beneath the eye is a thin ridge, and behind is a tiny spiracle. The nostrils have triangular flaps of skin in front. The mouth is wide and arched, with furrows of medium length at each corner. The teeth are small, each with a long central cusp and multiple smaller cusplets on each side. There are five pairs of gill slits. The two dorsal fins have rounded apexes, with the first slightly larger than the second. The first and second dorsal fins originate over the rear of the pelvic fin and anal fins respectively. The pectoral fins are broad and moderate in size. The pelvic fins are small and low with an angular shape; in adult males their inner margins are fused to form a subtle "apron" over the claspers. The anal fin is roughly triangular; its base measures 11% of the total length, exceeding the distance between the pelvic and anal fins but not the distance between the dorsal fins. The caudal fin is short and low, with a small but obvious lower lobe and a ventral notch near the tip of the upper lobe. …

Widely distributed off southern Australia, the Australian sawtail catshark has been found from Carnarvon in Western Australia to Noosa in Queensland, including all of Tasmania. This abundant, demersal species inhabits the outer continental shelf and upper continental slope at a depth of 85–823 m (279–2,700 ft).

The Australian sawtail catshark has been known to assemble in groups of a single sex. It feeds primarily on fishes, crustaceans, and cephalopods. Reproduction is oviparous, possibly without a well-defined breeding season as is the case in other catsharks. Adult females have a single functional ovary and two functional oviducts; apparently a single egg matures in each oviduct at a time. The eggs are enclosed in capsules measuring 6.8–7.4 cm (2.7–2.9 in) long, 1.9–2.0 cm (0.75–0.79 in) across, and 8–9 cm (3.1–3.5 in) thick. Males and females attain sexual maturity at roughly 40 cm (16 in) and 40–43 cm (16–17 in) long respectively.