Pyjama Catshark

The pyjama catshark, or striped catshark, is a slim, small shark boldly marked with several long dark stripes running from head to tail, with a pair of short barbels at the nostrils. It is endemic to South Africa, favouring rocky reefs, caves and kelp beds from the Western Cape into the Eastern Cape, where it lies still on the bottom by day.

This catshark is a nocturnal hunter, emerging after dark to feed on fish, crustaceans, octopus and worms across the reef. It is completely harmless to divers and is a favourite subject on Cape reef dives, often found curled up in a crevice. It lays tough, tendril-anchored egg cases on the reef, and while not threatened it deserves the same careful, hands-off respect as any resident shark.