| Photo |
False catshark
No image of False catshark found in the Shark Database
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| Range Map |
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| Systematics |
Phylum: Vertebates (Chordata)
Class: Carlilagenous Fishes (Chondrichthyes)
Order: Ground sharks (Carcharhiniformes)
Family: False catsharks (Pseudotriakidae)
Genus: Pseudotriakis (Pseudotriakis)
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| Name |
| Scientific: | Pseudotriakis microdon |
| Synonyms: | Pseudotriakis acrales |
| German: | Falscher Katzenhai |
| English: | False catshark, Atlantic false catshark, Keel-dorsal shark |
| French: | Requin a longue dorsale |
| Spanish: | Musolón de aleta larga |
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| Appearance |
Cat-like eyes, very large spiracles. Very large first dorsal fin with its origin opposite the rear ends of pectoral fins and the end is opposite the origin of the pelvic fins. Second dorsal fin is triangle-like, opposite to the anal fin. Soft body.
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| Coloration |
Dark brown with somewhat darker fins.
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| Distribution |
Western Atlantic: New York, New Jersey. Eastern Atlantic: Iceland, France, Portugal, Madeira, Azores, Senegal and Cape Verde Islands. Western Indian Ocean: Aldabra Islands. Western Pacific: Japan, Taiwan. Central Pacific: Hawaiian Islands.
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| Biology |
Lives in deeper waters, mainly over the bottom. Shelf area or upper slope, down to a depth of 200 m to 1500 m. The soft body implies an inactive lifestyle, they seem to be able to hover over the bottom.
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| Feeding |
Small deepwater fishes, invertebrates.
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| Size |
Average size between 240 cm and 280 cm, total maximum size about 300 cm.
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| Reproduction |
Aplacental viviparous (ovoviviparous). Size at birth between 70 cm and 85 cm. Males reach sexual maturity at about 200 cm, females at about 210 cm to 220 cm.
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| Similar Species |
The long and uniquely shaped first dorsal fin makes identifying this species unmistakable.
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| Endangerment |
Status in the IUCN
Red List(Version 2001):
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| Main criterion: |
 DD (Data Deficient) |
| Sub criterion: |
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| Trend: |
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| Danger to Humans |
Unknown.
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