Occurs in northern Australia, from Point Quobba in Western Australia to Gladstone in Queensland (Ref. 6871). Also found in the Arafura Sea (Ref. 9819). Based on tagging and electrophoretic studies, there is only one stock of spot-tail sharks in Australian waters (Ref. 26278).

Commercial fishery: Since the early 1970s, spot-tail sharks together with other shark species have been fished off in northern Australia. The Taiwanese gillnetters have been in huge operations until mid-1986 when limitations on gillnet length were introduced. Due to uneconomic yields, the Taiwanese gillnet fishery ceased operations within the Australian Fishing Zone. At about the same time, an Australian gillnet and a drifting longline fishery was in operations in Napier Broome Bay and eastern Gulf of Carpentaria. This is a relatively small fishery with a catch of about 500 t and is marketed in south-eastern Australia as 'flake'.

Recreational fishery: Game fishers mostly from off Queensland usually catch small sharks of up to 2 m and 60 kg weight. Berley trail, heavy handlines with wire, and rod-and-reel are used for catching larger species. Other methods include trolling using lures and fish baits.

Resource status: Stocks were overexploited based on the assessments of the Taiwanese catch and effort data in 1986 (Ref. 26279). From 1980-84, sustainable catch for the offshore shark fishery would have been about 2400 t live weight (Ref. 26274). Since 1986, sustainable catch estimates have improved when fishing effort had declined. The inshore northern region is probably only lightly exploited. No estimate is available on the impact of the catches by the demersal otter trawl fisheries on this resource. The Taiwanese and Indonesian gillnetting vessels continue to operate outside the Australian Fishing Zone to the north. Off the east coast of Queensland, the status of the whaler shark populations is not known. Also Ref. 2334, 7300, 9997, 33390.