Izak catshark
Holohalaelurus regani (Gilchrist, 1922)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Izak catshark or simply Izak (Holohalaelurus regani) is a species of shark belonging to the family Pentanchidae, the deepwater catsharks. This species is common off the coasts of South Africa and southern Namibia. It typically inhabits the outer continental shelf at depths of 100–300 m (330–980 ft), with the males found deeper than the females and juveniles. The Izak catshark has a short, wide, flattened head and a robust body tapering to a long, slender tail. It can be identified by its ornate color pattern of dark brown spots (in juveniles) or reticulations and blotches (in adults) on a light yellowish background, as well as by the enlarged dermal denticles over its pectoral fins and along its dorsal midline from the snout to the second dorsal fin. This species reaches 69 cm (27 in) in length, with the males larger than females. Bottom-dwelling and perhaps relatively active in nature, the Izak catshark feeds mainly on a diverse array of bony fishes, crustaceans, and cephalopods. A significant portion of its diet may be scavenged from offal discarded by fisheries.
Wikipedia contributors, Izak catshark; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T03:33:20.568953+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Holohalaelurus regani (Gilchrist, 1922)
- Name authority
- (Gilchrist, 1922)
- Common name
- Izak catshark
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Elasmobranchii
- Order
- Carcharhiniformes
- Family
- Pentanchidae
- Genus
- Holohalaelurus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumChondrichthyes
- classElasmobranchii
- subclassNeoselachii
- infraclassSelachii
- superorderGaleomorphi
- orderCarcharhiniformes
- familyPentanchidae Smith, 1912
- genusHolohalaelurus Fowler, 1934
- speciesHolohalaelurus regani (Gilchrist, 1922)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Holohalaelurus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| African spotted catsharkHolohalaelurus punctatus (Gilchrist, 1914) | PentanchidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Holohalaelurus melanostigma (Norman, 1939) | PentanchidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Holohalaelurus favus Human, 2006 | PentanchidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Holohalaelurus grennian Human, 2006 | PentanchidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Scylliorhinus regani Gilchrist, 1922 Gilchrist, 1922 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=217648 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3M8XL. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.