The teeth are small, each with a long central cusp and multiple smaller cusplets on each side. There are five pairs of gill slits. The two dorsal fins have rounded apexes, with the first slightly larger than the second. The first and second dorsal fins originate over the rear of the pelvic fin and anal fins respectively. The pectoral fins are broad and moderate in size. The pelvic fins are small and low with an angular shape; in adult males their inner margins are fused to form a subtle "apron" over the claspers. The anal fin is roughly triangular; its base measures 11% of the total length, exceeding the distance between the pelvic and anal fins but not the distance between the dorsal fins. The caudal fin is short and low, with a small but obvious lower lobe and a ventral notch near the tip of the upper lobe. Small, overlapping dermal denticles cover the body and fins; each denticle has three marginal teeth. In addition, there are enlarged spiny denticles forming prominent crests along the front half of the upper caudal fin edge, and beneath the caudal peduncle to the ventral caudal fin edge. This species is grayish above and light below. Dorsally, there are 12–13 variegated dark saddles or bands along the body and tail, including three saddles before the dorsal fins that are separated by narrow bands. The saddles are highlighted by a lighter edge, and may contain white flecks. The dorsal and pectoral fins are dark at the bases and light at the margins. Distribution and habitat Widely distributed off southern Australia, the Australian sawtail catshark has been found from Carnarvon in Western Australia to Noosa in Queensland, including all of Tasmania. This abundant, demersal species inhabits the outer continental shelf and upper continental slope at a depth of . Biology and ecology The Australian sawtail catshark has been known to assemble in groups of a single sex. It feeds primarily on fishes, crustaceans, and cephalopods. Reproduction is oviparous, possibly without a well-defined breeding season as is the case in other catsharks. Adult females have a single functional ovary and two functional oviducts; apparently a single egg matures in each oviduct at a time. The eggs are enclosed in capsules measuring long, across, and thick. Males and females attain sexual maturity at roughly and long respectively. Human interactions The Australian sawtail catshark is a frequent incidental