Leopard Catshark
Poroderma pantherinum
Also known as: Leopard catshark, luiperdhaai
Illustration: gardenroutefishing.co.za
A small endemic catshark, beautifully spotted and completely harmless — often caught by accident at night.
Field guide
Small slender shark with black rosette/leopard markings; endemic to SA.
Reef and gulleys, mostly nocturnal
Under 1 m
Eats small fish, crustaceans and cephalopods
Powerful, sustained runs and dogged head-shaking — big fish test heavy tackle and your stamina rather than jumping.
Pyjama shark (striped, not spotted)
How to catch Leopard Catshark
Any light tackle
Large baitrunner spinning reel (8000–14000) or a 6/0–9/0 conventional with 300 m+ line capacity and a strong, smooth drag.
0.50–0.70 mm mono or 50–80 lb braid for the mainline.
8/0–12/0 non-stainless circle hooks (rust out if a deep-hooked fish is released).
1.5–2 m of 100–300 lb mono trace; multi-strand wire or cable for toothy sharks.
Any bait
When to catch Leopard Catshark
Nocturnal
Feeds hard on moving water, especially the push and after dark; spring tides and a warm current switch them on.
Nocturnal — moonless nights
Most active in warmer water, roughly 18–23 °C, especially when bait shoals are inshore.
🥅 Landing
On the beach, use the swash to slide the fish onto wet sand; from rocks, lead it to a safe gulley. Never gaff a shark you plan to release.
♻️ Release
Keep it in the water, support the body, remove the hook with a de-hooker or cut the trace close, then revive it upright facing the current until it swims off strongly.
📏 Limits & restrictions
🚫 Endemic — always release, never kill as bait-stealer
No tours targeting this species yet — browse all tours.
