| Photo |
Brown catshark
No image of Brown catshark found in the Shark Database
| |
|
| Range Map |
|
|
| Systematics |
Phylum: Vertebates (Chordata)
Class: Carlilagenous Fishes (Chondrichthyes)
Order: Ground sharks (Carcharhiniformes)
Family: Catsharks (Scyliorhinidae)
Genus: Apristurus (Apristurus)
|
|
|
| Name |
| Scientific: | Apristurus brunneus |
| German: | Brauner Katzenhai |
| English: | Brown catshark |
| French: | Holbiche brune |
| Spanish: | Pejegato marrón |
|
|
| Appearance |
Relatively slender body. Moderately long snout, bell-shaped and broad. Broad nostrils. Relatively small eyes (about 2.5% of total body length). Mouth directly under the eyes. Labial furrows present. First dorsal fin about the same size as second one. Origin of first dorsal fin slightly in front of the midbases of the pelvic fins. Origin of second dorsal fin in front of anal fin"s insertion. Very soft, flabby body with a weak skin.
|
|
| Coloration |
Dark brown with conspicuous light posterior margins on fins.
|
|
| Distribution |
Eastern Pacific: British Columbia to northern Baja California, Mexico and probably south to Panama, Ecuador and Peru.
|
|
| Biology |
Common, bottom-oriented species that lives in deepwater down to a depths of 950 m, from the outer continental shelf and upper slope.
|
|
| Feeding |
Feeds primarily on shrimps and small fishes.
|
|
| Size |
Maximum size about 68 cm, average size between 40 and 60 m.
|
|
| Reproduction |
Oviparous (egg laying). Females lay one egg per oviduct at the time. Egg cases are very small measuring approximately 5 cm in length and 2.5 cm in width. Period of incubation is approximately 1 year.
|
|
| Similar Species |
Other species of the same genus have a similar appearance and taxonomic features have to be used to clearly distinguish.
|
|
| Endangerment |
Status in the IUCN
Red List(Version 2001):
|
| Main criterion: |
 DD (Data Deficient) |
| Sub criterion: |
|
| Trend: |
 |
|
|
| Danger to Humans |
Harmless.
|
|
