Halaelurus natalensis (Regan, 1904)

Tiger Catshark

Scyllium natalense Regan, 1904: 128 . Syntypes: (2 specimens) BMNH 1904.6.28.29 (1). Type locality: KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Local synonymy: Scyllium natalense: Regan, 1904: 128. Scyliorhinus natalensis: Regan, 1908a: 241; Regan, 1908b: 461; Fowler, 1936 a: 361. Scylliorhinus natalensis: Gilchrist & Thompson, 1911: 55; Thompson, 1914: 138; Gilchrist & Thompson, 1916: 283; Gilchrist, 1921: 56; Gilchrist, 1922b: 44 (in part with H. lineatus ?); von Bonde, 1923: 4 (in part with H. lineatus ?); Barnard, 1925: 43; von Bonde, 1934: 15; Barnard, 1947: 16. Halaelurus natalensis: Garman, 1913: 84; Fowler, 1941: 45; Smith, 1949a: 54, pl. 2; Smith, 1965: 54, pl. 2; Springer & D’Aubrey, 1972: 3; Bass et al., 1975a: 14, figs. 9, 20f; Springer, 1979: 83, figs. 48–50; Compagno, 1984b: 330, fig.; Bass, 1986: 91, fig. 11.7, pl. 3; Compagno, 1988a: 147; Compagno et al., 1989: 52, pl.; Compagno et al., 1991: 78; Compagno, 1999: 119; Heemstra & Heemstra, 2004: 66; Compagno et al., 2005: 233, fig., pl. 39; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 352, fig., pl. 47; NPOA, 2013: 45; da Silva et al., 2015: 248; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 147; Weigmann, 2016: 876.

South Africa voucher material: Syntypes: BMNH 1904.6 .28.29 (2 specimens). Non-types: SAIAB 6154, SAIAB 6155, SAIAB 6156, SAIAB 6157, SAIAB 6158, SAIAB 6159, SAIAB 6363, SAIAB 6859, SAIAB 6860, SAIAB 6861, SAIAB 6862, SAIAB 6863, SAIAB 6864, SAIAB 6865, SAIAB 6866, SAIAB 6867, SAIAB 6868, SAIAB 6869, SAIAB 6870, SAIAB 6871, SAIAB 6872, SAIAB 6873, SAIAB 6874, SAIAB 6875, SAIAB 6876, SAIAB 6877, SAIAB 6878, SAIAB 6879, SAIAB 6880, SAIAB 6881, SAIAB 6882, SAIAB 6883, SAIAB 6884, SAIAB 6885, SAIAB 6886, SAIAB 6887, SAIAB 7559, SAIAB 7618, SAIAB 7619, SAIAB 7620, SAIAB 7621, SAIAB 7622, SAIAB 7623, SAIAB 7624, SAIAB 7834, SAIAB 8264 .

South African distribution: Endemic. Cape Point (WC) to East London (EC), but may possibly extend to Saldanha Bay (WC) in the west and eastwards to KZN.

Remarks: The species is most common off the southern and eastern Cape coasts, but records for extreme locations on the west and east coasts require confirmation.

Conservation status: VU (2020).