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Varied Carpetshark
Parascyllium variolatum (Duméril, 1853)
A Varied Carpetshark at a depth of 10 m, Rapid Bay Jetty, South Australia, December 2003. Photo © D. Muirhead. View larger image.
A Varied Carpetshark at a depth of 2 m, Stokes Bay, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, November 2000. Photo © D. Muirhead. View larger image.
The Varied Carpetshark is an elongate tubular fish that has small oval eyes, a small inferior mouth and two similar sized dorsal fins.
It can be recognised by its distinct colouration. The body is light to dark brown with white spots. There is a broad black band with small white spots around the gill region. The fin margins have brown and white blotches.
The Varied Carpetshark grows to 92 cm in length.
This species is endemic to Australia. It occurs in temperate inshore waters from eastern Victoria, Tasmania, and around the south of the country to south-western Western Australia.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
The varied carpetshark has also been called the Necklace Carpet Shark, Ring-necked Catshark, Southern Catshark and Varied Catshark.
Related links
- View the Sharks list
Further reading
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
- Last, P.R. & J.D. Stevens. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO. Pp. 513.
- Stevens, J.D. in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
