African ribbontail catshark

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African ribbontail catshark
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Proscylliidae
Genus: Eridacnis
Species: E. sinuans
Binomial name
Eridacnis sinuans
(Smith, 1957)

The African ribbontail catshark, Eridacnis sinuans, is a finback catshark of the family Proscylliidae, found in the western Indian Ocean, from Tanzania, South Africa, and Mozambique, at depths of between 180 and 480 m. It reaches a length of 37 cm.

The African ribbontail catshark is a slender, dwarf catshark with 2 equal-sized dorsal fins and a long tape-like caudal fin. It is found on the upper continental slope and outer shelf, feeding on small bony fishes, crustaceans and cephalopods. Geographic or bathymetric segregation of populations by sex probably occurs as most specimens taken off Natal were male.

The African ribbontail catshark is ovoviviparous giving birth to two young per litter.

Coloration is grey-brown.

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