ECOLOGY: INDIAN OCEAN SHARKS 573 



taken northwest of Madagascar (Forster et al. 1970). Among the inshore 

 species in this group are Scylliogaleus quecketti, Triakis megalopterus, and at 

 least two species of Mustelus. These are demersal sharks feeding chiefly on 

 crustaceans and attaining maximum lengths of 100 to 150 cm. S. quecketti 

 is endemic to the Natal and eastern Cape coasts, while T. megalopterus is a 

 temperate species ranging from the southwestern to the eastern Cape and 

 southern Natal. Mustelus palumbes has a similar distribution but is a slighter 

 if not shorter shark than T. megalopterus, while another species of Mustelus 

 is found in shallow water off Natal and in deeper water on the continental 

 shelf off southern Mozambique. A futher small species in this group, Eridacnis 

 sinuans, grows to a length of about 40 cm. A demersal species, it has only 

 been recorded from the Natal and southern Mozambique coasts at depths of 

 230 to 480 cm. 



Scyliorhinids— The catsharks (family Scyliorhinidae) are mostly small 

 (less than 1 m), sluggish sharks, most with restricted ranges and a consequent 

 high degree of endemism. Bass et al. (1975a) recorded six genera from the 

 east coast of southern Africa (excluding the deepwater genus Apristurus). 

 Most are temperate species, those occurring in warmer areas being found 

 chiefly on the continental shelf rather than close inshore. The ranges of the 

 different species are briefly described as follows. 



Genus Haploblepharus 



H. pictus. Southwestern Cape, in shallow water. 



H. edwardsii. In shallow water in the southern Cape; trawled on the con- 

 tinental shelf in the eastern Cape. Two specimens, possibly not of the same 

 species, have been caught in shallow water in northern Natal. 



H. fuscus. In shallow water from the southern Cape to southern Natal. 



Genus Halaelurus 



H. natalensis. In shallow water in the southern and southwestern Cape; 

 trawled on the continental shelf in the eastern Cape. 



H. lineatus. In shallow water on the central Natal coast; trawled on the 

 continental shelf off southern Mozambique. 



H. lutarius. In deep water on the continental shelf from southern 

 Mozambique and Somalia. 



Genus Scyliorhinus 



S. capensis. In shallow water in the southwestern and southern Cape; 

 trawled on the continental shelf in the eastern Cape; taken once off central 

 Natal in deep water near the top of the continental slope. 



Genus Poroderma 



P. africanum. In shallow water in the southwestern Cape; taken by traw- 

 lers in the eastern Cape. 



P. pantherinum. In shallow water from the southwestern Cape to southern 

 Natal, specimens from each end of the range are distinct from one another. 



P. marleyi. A rare species, known only from four specimens from the 

 Natal coast. 



