HomeFish encyclopediaSharks and RaysGround sharksCat sharksEastern banded catshark Eastern banded catshark (Atelomycterus marnkalha) Scientific name: Atelomycterus marnkalha Jacobsen & Bennett, 2007 The Eastern banded catshark (Atelomycterus marnkalha) is a marine fish of the family Scyliorhinidae. Native range: Western Pacific, from Gladstone in Central East Queensland, Australia to the southern reaches of Papua New Guinea. BiologyThis relatively small species (up to 49 cm TL) is distinguished by the following set of characters: a relatively long snout, preoral length 4.7-5.1% TL; head length 19.3-19.9% TL, precaudal length 79.7-82.6% TL; short interdorsal space 12.2-13.9% TL; anal fin height 2.5-3.0% TL; comparatively long anal fin length 9.7-10.8 % TL and anal fin base-length 8.2-9.1% TL; adult claspers elongate, broad base, tapering moderately from base to tip; adult male claspers with outer length 7.2-9.0% TL, clasper base width 20.2-22.5% of clasper outer length; clasper glans covering more than half length of entire clasper; enlarged tab on cover rhipidion, which is moderately large, concealed predominantly by large cover rhipidion and exorhipidion; pseudosiphon over half length of cover rhipidion; large pseudopera; narrow clasper tip and of moderate width, bluntly pointed. Total vertebral 147-153 (N=16); precaudal counts 95?99 (n=16). Color pattern dominated by broad brownish saddles and transverse bandsSource: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific nameAtelomycterus marnkalhaFamilyScyliorhinidae (Cat sharks)OrderCarcharhiniformes (Ground sharks)ClassElasmobranchii (Sharks and Rays)Maximum length47.0Depth range11–74 m (36–243 ft)EnvironmentMarine; benthopelagic; depth range 11 - 74 mClimateTropicalDistributionWestern Pacific: from Gladstone in Central East Queensland, Australia to the southern reaches of Papua New Guinea.Conservation status (IUCN)Data deficient (DD)Threat to humansHarmlessResilienceHigh, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.) SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.Last updated 27 September 2026