Black Banded Cat Sharks can be distinguished by their concave posterior margined dorsal fin. Juveniles have dark transverse bands with some dark spots. These sharks are nocturnal animals and can survive out of the water for up to 12 hrs. They have barbels, which are sensory organs that look like whiskers. Hence the common name "cat shark". However, they are not true members of the catshark family, and are more closely related to the nurse and whale sharks.