The bluegrey carpetshark has a stocky body with a wide, slightly flattened head, dorsally placed eyes, and a pair of long barbels with posterior skin flaps.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed this species as Vulnerable, given its rarity and restricted occurrence in heavily utilized waters.

The bluegrey carpetshark was described by Australian ichthyologist James Douglas Ogilby as a species of Brachaelurus, in a 1908 issue of Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland.

He named the shark after his friend John Colclough, and based his account on two immature males about 46 cm (18 in) long from Moreton Bay in Queensland, one of which was later "accidentally destroyed".

[2][3] In 1940, Gilbert Percy Whitley published the first illustrations of the bluegrey carpetshark, but unfortunately they were inaccurate in some respects, particularly on omitting a midline groove on the chin.

[5] Rare to uncommon, the bluegrey carpetshark occurs along the northeastern coast of Australia from Gladstone, Queensland to Ballina, New South Wales, with most records coming from Moreton Bay.

[3][6] This species is aplacental viviparous, with the unborn young losing their egg cases early in development and being sustained by yolk sacs.

[3] The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed this species as Vulnerable, citing its narrow habitat preferences, limited range in a heavily populated region, and apparent rarity.