the ghana mole-rat or togo mole-rat ( fukomys zechi ) is a species of rodent in the family bathyergidae .

it is endemic to ghana .

its natural habitats are moist savanna , subtropical or tropical dry shrubland , subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland , caves , and arable land .

ghana mole - rat

the ghana mole rat , togo mole rat is listed as least concern . does not qualify for a more at risk category . widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category , on the iucn red list of threatened species
this species has been recorded from mole national park , ghana , and a few other protected areas .
search ghana mole rat and thousands of other words in english definition and synonym dictionary from reverso . you can complete the list of synonyms of ghana mole rat given by the english thesaurus dictionary with other english dictionaries : wikipedia , lexilogos , oxford , cambridge , chambers harrap , wordreference , collins lexibase dictionaries , merriam webster . . .
this mole rat is called the ghana mole rat because it is endemic to ghana . it was previously called the togo mole rat , not because it used to live in togo and doesn’t anymore , but because it lives in a part of ghana that used to be togo . the mole rat was described in 1900 , and ghana didn’t exist as such until 1957 . until then , it was called the gold coast . it was the first place european traders went to in africa , and they took both gold and slaves . ghana was also the first black country in africa to declare its independence from a european colonizer , in this case great britain . togo , meanwhile , was a german colony until world war i , when it was taken over by great britain and france . the british part of togoland joined the gold coast to become independent ghana , and the french part gained its independence from france in 1960 . so my guess is that this mole rat was found in the part of german togo that became british and then became part of ghana . i could be wrong , though .
a young / baby of a togo mole rat is called a ' kitten , nestling , pinkie or pup ' . the females are called ' doe ' and males ' buck ' . a togo mole rat group is called a ' colony , horde , pack , plague or swarm ' .
1991 ) refer to the collection from the type locality , which was originally in togo , but is now within ghana .
this species is widely distributed in east - central ghana , probably between the arms of the red and black volta and oti rivers . reports of this species in central togo ( rosevear 1969 , honeycutt et al . 1991 ) refer to the collection from the type locality , which was originally in togo , but is now within ghana .
justification : listed as least concern in view of its abundance within its restricted distribution . it is considered an agricultural pest in some parts of ghana . there are currently no known major threats to the species .
this species is widely distributed in east - central ghana , probably between the arms of the red and black volta and oti rivers . reports of this species in central togo ( rosevear , 1969 ; and see map in honeycutt
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 strict / / en
urltoken
thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
a specimen from sudan in the british museum has been allocated to this species , but is probably fukomys ochraceocinereus . the species was elevated to species level by honeycutt et al . ( 1991 ) .
this species is common within its restricted distribution , and is apparently considered to be an agricultural pest .
this is a subterranean species associated with savanna woodland , but also well adapted to agricultural land . it can be found burrowed into farmland , particularly those in which dioscorea alata or manihot utilisima were cultivated . it is a social animal living in colonies of up to seven individuals , with a single breeding pair . the species can probably produce two litters of one or two young per year .
to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .
let’s continue our look at the mammalian denizens of the countries where people who like the daily mammal facebook page live ! did that sentence make sense ? it’s getting tricky to phrase it in a slightly different way each day . we’re up to 19 countries to visit now , and this is the sixth one , as well as the fifth continent we’ve looked at . go to the homepage and have a look at the previous ones , won’t you ?
je suis un burkinabe d’origine ghanéen residant a urltoken français mais aussi l’anglais . j’aimerai juste echanger avec mes frères ghanéens pour mieux apprendre et comprendre l’anglais . mon nom ghanéen est kwabena et au burkina pour continuer mes etudes .
je suis un burkinabe d’origine ghanéen residant a urltoken parle français mais aussi l’anglais . j’aimerai juste echanger avec mes frères ghanéens pour mieux apprendre et comprendre l’anglais . mon nom ghanéen est kwabena et je suis au burkina pour continuer mes etudes .
bonjour , kwabena . thank you for commenting , and good luck with your studies ! i hope i have interpreted your comment correctly .
javascript has been deactivated in your browser . reactivation will enable you to use the vocabulary trainer and any other programs .
you are not signed in . please sign in or register for free if you want to use this function .
we are using the following form field to detect spammers . please do leave them untouched . otherwise your message will be regarded as spam . we are sorry for the inconvenience .
thank you ! your message has now been forwarded to the pons editorial department .
collect the vocabulary that you want to remember while using the dictionary . the items that you have collected will be displayed under
vocabulary list
.
if you want to copy vocabulary items to the vocabulary trainer , click on
import
in the vocabulary list .
please note that the vocabulary items in this list are only available in this browser . once you have copied them to the vocabulary trainer , they are available from everywhere .
unique : the editorially approved pons online dictionary with text translation tool now includes a database with hundreds of millions of real translations from the internet . see how foreign - language expressions are used in real life . real language usage will help your translations to gain in accuracy and idiomaticity !
enter a word ( “newspaper” ) , a word combination ( “exciting trip” ) or a phrase ( “with all good wishes” ) into the search box . the search engine displays hits in the dictionary entries plus translation examples , which contain the exact or a similar word or phrase .
this new feature displays references to sentence pairs from translated texts , which we have found for you on the internet , directly within many of our pons dictionary entries .
a click on the tab “usage examples” displays a full inventory of translations to all of the senses of the headword . usage examples present in the pons dictionary will be displayed first .
the pons dictionary delivers the reliability of a dictionary which has been editorially reviewed and expanded over the course of decades . in addition , the dictionary is now supplemented with millions of real - life translation examples from external sources . so , now you can see how a concept is translated in specific contexts . you can find the answers to questions like “can you really say … in german ? ” and so , you will produce more stylistically sophisticated translations .
the “examples from the internet” do , in fact , come from the internet . we are able to identify trustworthy translations with the aid of automated processes . the main sources we used are professionally translated company , and academic , websites . in addition , we have included websites of international organizations such as the european union . because of the overwhelming data volume , it has not been possible to carry out a manual editorial check on all of these documents . so , we logically cannot guarantee the quality of each and every translation . this is why they are marked “not verified by pons editors” .
we are working on continually optimizing the quality of our usage examples by improving their relevance as well as the translations . in addition , we have begun to apply this technology to further languages in order to build up usage - example databases for other language pairs . we also aim to integrate these usage examples into our mobile applications ( mobile website , apps ) as quickly as possible .
the examples come from the entire data collection of the pons dictionary and are all editorially certified .
kari pihlaviita added the finnish common name
togonmyyrikkö
to
cryptomys zechi ( matschie , 1900 )
.
eol content is automatically assembled from many different content providers . as a result , from time to time you may find pages on eol that are confusing .
to request an improvement , please leave a comment on the page . thank you !
double - check spelling , grammar , punctuation . translators work best when there are no errors or typos .
if words are different , search our dictionary to understand why and pick the right word .
if phrases are different , try searching our examples to help pick the right phrase .
we ' ve combined the most accurate english to spanish translations , dictionary , verb conjugations , and spanish to english translators into one very powerful search box .
spanishdict is devoted to improving our site based on user feedback and introducing new and innovative features that will continue to help people learn and love the spanish language . have a suggestion , idea , or comment ? send us your feedback .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd html 4 . 01 transitional / / en
urltoken
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 transitional / / en
urltoken
you want to reject this entry : please give us your comments ( bad translation / definition , duplicate entries . . . )
to add entries to your own vocabulary , become a member of reverso community or login if you are already a member .
copyright © 1999 - 2018 john wiley & sons , inc . all rights reserved
enter your email address below . if your address has been previously registered , you will receive an email with instructions on how to reset your password . if you don ' t receive an email , you should register as a new user
copyright © 2018 langenscheidt digital gmbh & co . kg , all rights reserved .


the southern sawtail catshark ( galeus mincaronei ) is a species of catshark , part of the family scyliorhinidae , endemic to southern brazil .

it inhabits deepwater reefs on the upper continental slope at a depth of 236 – 600 m ( 774 – 1,969 ft ) .

reaching at least 43 cm ( 17 in ) in length , this slim-bodied species closely resembles the antilles catshark ( g. antillensis ) .

it has a prominent crest of enlarged dermal denticles along the dorsal edge of the caudal fin , as well as a distinctive color pattern of dark oval blotches , outlined in white , along its back .

the southern sawtail catshark is oviparous , with females producing reddish egg capsules .

the international union for conservation of nature ( iucn ) has assessed it as vulnerable ; it is often taken as bycatch and may be threatened by intensifying squid fishing .

southern sawtail catshark

how can i put and write and define southern sawtail catshark in a sentence and how is the word southern sawtail catshark used in a sentence and examples ? 用southern sawtail catshark造句 , 用southern sawtail catshark造句 , 用southern sawtail catshark造句 , southern sawtail catshark meaning , definition , pronunciation , synonyms and example sentences are provided by ichacha . net .
galeus mincaronei sp . nov . ( carcharhiniformes , scyliorhinidae ) , a new species of sawtail catshark from southern brazil .
the southern sawtail catshark , galeus mincaronei , is a cat shark of the family scyliorhinidae found only from southern brazil , at depths from 230 to 600 m .
little is known of the natural history of the longfin sawtail catshark . reproduction is
the southern sawtail catshark closely resembles
g . antillensis
, and with it belongs to the
g . springeri
.
, a new species of sawtail catshark from the caribbean sea ( chondrichthys , scyliorhinidae )
.
there is little known of the natural history of the springer ' s sawtail catshark . reproduction is presumably
close - up of the denticle crest along the dorsal caudal fin margin of the longfin sawtail catshark .
the southern sawtail catshark , galeus mincaronei , is a cat shark of the family scyliorhinidae found only from southern brazil , at depths from 230 to 600 m . its length is up to 40 cm . more
the
' southern sawtail catshark
' (
galeus mincaronei
) is a species of catshark , part of the vulnerable ; it is often taken as bycatch and may be threatened by intensifying squid fishing .
the australian sawtail catshark has been known to assemble in groups of a single sex . it feeds primarily on fishes ,
sawtail catshark , figaro boardmani . source : australian national fish collection , csiro . license : cc by attribution - noncommercial
soto , j . m . r . 2001 . galeus mincaronei sp . nov . ( carcharhiniformes , scyliorhinidae ) , a new species of sawtail catshark from southern brazil . mare magnum 1 ( 1 ) : 11 - 18 .
chilean catshark - schroederichthys chilensis the chilean catshark is found in the waters from central peru to southern chile . source : animal diversity web intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
sp . nov . , a new species of sawtail catsharks ( charcharhiniformes : scyliorhinidae ) from new caledonia
.
reproduction and food habits of two species of sawtail catsharks , galeus eastmani and g . nipponensis , in suruga bay , japan
, a new species of frilled shark from southern africa ( chondrichthyes , hexanchiformes , chlamydoselachidae )
.
: southern coasts of australia from new south wales , victoria , tasmania , south and western australia .
the blackmouth catshark has well - developed eyes and ampullae of lorenzini for finding prey .
to the tiger catshark , until it was described as a separate species in 1975 .
justification : the longnose sawtail catshark ( galeus longirostris ) is a deepwater catshark known only from the southern islands of japan at depths of 350 - 550 m . longnose sawtail catshark attains at least 80 cm tl . it is reported as fairly common where it occurs , but no data are available to determine population trends . this species is probably taken as bycatch in deepwater demersal fisheries , but no specific information is available on its capture . insufficient information is available to assess this species beyond data deficient at present , but its relatively limited range is of concern . research is required on its biology , life - history characteristics , capture in fisheries and population .
small - spotted catshark - scyliorhinus canicula the small - spotted catshark is nocturnal . source : florida museum of natural history intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
, the springer ' s sawtail catshark can be identified by its color pattern of horizontal dark stripes in front of the first dorsal fin , and dark dorsal saddles behind . it is additionally characterized by the presence of saw - toothed crests , made of enlarged
jean cadenat to the presence of a distinct catshark species in the region . after examining more specimens from
northwest pacific : southern islands of japan ( amami - oshima , the ogasawara and izu islands ) ( compagno et al . 2005 ) .
from the southern oceans , and comments on other squaliform sharks . japan . j . ichthyol . , 33 ( 2 ) : 119–134 .
filetail catshark - parmaturus xaniurus the filetail catshark is found on the pacific coast from central california gulf of california . source : florida museum of natural history intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
the conservation status of the southern african frilled shark has not been evaluated by the international union for conservation of nature ( iucn ) . [ 2 ]
chain catshark - scyliorhinus retifer the chain catshark is often found living among man - made artifacts such as wires and cables . source : florida museum of natural history intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
from stomach contents , the southern african frilled shark seems to feed mainly on smaller sharks such as the african sawtail catshark ( galeus polli ) . its jaws , buccal cavity , and abdomen are all highly distensible , suggesting that this shark is specialized for capturing and swallowing whole large prey , with its rows of needle - like , recurved teeth preventing escape . [ 1 ] one 92 cm ( 36 in ) long specimen was found to have swallowed a ghost catshark ( apristurus sp . ) that measured 40 % of its body length . although adult females are unknown , the southern african frilled shark is presumed to be aplacental viviparous like the frilled shark . males mature sexually at a length of 91 . 5 cm ( 36 . 0 in ) . [ 1 ]
small - spotted catshark - scyliorhinus canicula the small - spotted catshark is found in atlantic ocean from norway to morocco . it is also found in the mediterranean . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
compagno , l . j . v . & stevens , j . d . 1993b . galeus gracilis n . sp . , a new sawtail catshark from australia , with comments on the systematics of the genus galeus rafinesque , 1810 ( carcharhiniformes : scyliorhinidae ) . records of the australian museum 45 ( 2 ) : 171 - 194 .
coelho , r . and k . erzini ( 2008 ) .
effects of fishing methods on deep water shark species caught as by - catch off southern portugal
.
chain catshark - scyliorhinus retifer the chain catshark is found along the atlantic coast from massachusetts to florida . it is also found in the gulf of mexico and the caribbean . source : animal diversity web intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
van der elst , r . ( 1993 ) . a guide to the common sea fishes of southern africa ( 3rd ed . ) . struik . p . 70 . isbn .
australian swell shark - cephaloscyllium laticeps the australian swell shark is found in waters off of southern australia . source : australian museum intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : no
endemic to and widespread in outer continental shelf and upper continental slope waters of the southern half of australia - from off brisbane , queensland , to off carnavon , western australia , and tasmania .
this article is part of project scyliorhinidae , a all birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each catshark , including made - up species .
justification : the blacktip sawtail catshark ( galeus sauteri ) is a small , locally abundant catshark , reported from depths of 60–200 m from taiwan , province of china and philippines . this species is oviparous but virtually nothing else is known of its biology . it is a retained bycatch of demersal trawl fisheries and is used for fishmeal in taiwan . no data are available on catches of this species and it is not possible to assess it beyond data deficient at present without further study . research is required to determine the impact of fisheries on this species .
capapé , c . , o . guélorget , y . vergne , and c . reynaud ( 2008 ) . ( chondrichthyes : scyliorhinidae ) off the languedocian coast ( southern france , northern mediterranean )
fanelli , e . , j . rey , p . torres , and l . gil de sola ( 2009 ) .
feeding habits of blackmouth catshark
the southern african frilled shark has only been confirmed to occur from off southern angola to southern namibia . frilled sharks have also been captured off south africa , at 1 , 230–1 , 400 m ( 4 , 040–4 , 590 ft ) deep off eastern cape province , and at 300 m ( 980 ft ) deep off kwazulu - natal province ; it is uncertain whether these specimens are c . africana . little is known of its habitat preferences ; one known specimen was caught 425 m ( 1 , 394 ft ) down in a zone of low dissolved oxygen and high nutrients , over a soft substrate . [ 1 ]
the southern african frilled shark ( chlamydoselachus africana ) is a species of shark in the family chlamydoselachidae , described in 2009 . it is found in the deep waters off southern angola to southern namibia . this species is difficult to distinguish from the better - known frilled shark ( c . anguineus ) , but is smaller at maturity and differs in several proportional measurements including head length and mouth width . it seems to be a specialized predator of smaller sharks , using its flexible jaws and numerous needle - like , recurved teeth to capture and swallow them whole . reproduction is presumably ovoviviparous , as with the other member of its family .
tursi , a . , g . d’onghia , a . matarrese , and g . piscitelli ( 1993 ) .
observations on population biology of the blackmouth catshark
northwest and western central pacific : taiwan , province of china and philippines ( compagno et al . 2005a , b ) . this species does not occur off southern japan ( k . nakaya pers . obs . 2007 ) .
ebert , d . a . ; l . j . v . compagno ; p . d . cowley ( 2006 ) .
reproductive biology of catsharks ( chondrichthyes : scyliorhinidae ) from the west coast of southern africa
.
rinelli , p . , t . bottari , g . florio , t . romeo , d . giordano , and s . greco ( 2005 ) . ( chondrichthyes , scyliorhinidae ) in the southern tyrrhenian sea ( central mediterranean )
prior to this study , reproductive information for these catshark species was largely unknown , or based on anecdotal accounts . this study , although limited , has provided the first information on the reproductive biology of these five southern african catsharks . four of the five species are endemic and possibly have a limited distributional range . therefore , intensive fishing pressure on their preferred habitat may have a far - reaching impact on their population structure .
francis , m . p . 2006 . distribution and biology of the new zealand endemic catshark , halaelurus dawsoni . environmental biology of fishes 75 ( 3 ) : 295 - 306 .
males mature at about 40 cm tl , and females mature at about 40 - 43 cm tl . the sawtail catshark is oviparous ( lays eggs ) with one functional ovary in females . egg cases in several individuals measured 68 - 74 x 19 - 21 x 8 - 9 mm ( length x width x depth ) . the large - yolked eggs are enclosed within a leathery capsule , and are usually attached to the seafloor by tendrils that project from each corner of the capsule .
a random , stratified sampling design of the area was made , and in all some 2000 pre - determined stations were occupied , this number including some more than once ; of these , at least 1030 stations had cartilaginous fish , including scyliorhinids . the gear used was a 60 - m german bottom trawl . payne et al . ( 1984 , 1985 ) provide a detailed description of the gear deployment and the basic methodology for station selection . although most trawling was down to 500 - m bottom depth , up to six exploratory deep trawls were conducted per cruise to investigate the resource potential down to ca . 1000 m . all trawls took place during daylight with the exception of the experimental deepwater trawls , which were conducted after dark . the entire catch of all vertebrate species at each station was identified , weighed , and counted ( subsamples were sometimes taken when the catch was large , but the results raised to total trawl data ) ; invertebrate species were identified and weighed . in all , 637 catsharks comprising five species , smalleyed catshark , apristurus microps ( gilchrist , 1922 ) , saldanha catshark , a . saldanha ( barnard , 1925 ) , grey wonder catshark ( apristurus sp . ) , african sawtail catshark , galeus polli ( cadenat , 1959 ) , and yellowspotted catshark , scyliorhinus capensis ( smith , 1838 ) , were collected in sufficient numbers to report on their reproductive biology . the reproductive biology of the izak catshark ( holohalaelurus regani ) , a sixth catshark species , the most abundant of all collected during the surveys , has already been documented by richardson et al . ( 2000 ) .
galeus longirostris sp . nov . is described based on 46 specimens taken off the southern part of japan . it is distinguished from all known species of galeus in having a considerably longer snout . this species is morphologically close to g . nipponensis , which commonly occurs off the southern part of japan , but differs in having longer preoral length than the mouth width , a bluntly rounded snout , larger pectoral fins , a shorter interspace between anal and lower caudal fins , and a greater number of monospondylous vertebrae .
bass , a . j . , d’aubrey , j . d . & kistnasamy , n . 1975 . sharks of the east coast of southern africa . ii . the families scyliorhinidae and pseudotriakidae . investigational report of the oceanographic research institute 37 : 1 - 64 .
ebert , d . a . ( december 1991 ) . in the temperate coastal waters of southern africa
notorynchus cepedianus
diet of the seven gill shark . south african journal of marine science 11 ( 1 ) : 565–572 . doi : 10 . 2989 / 025776191784287547 .
southern africa has one of the most diverse chondrichthyan faunas in the world , consisting of some 46 families , 106 genera , and more than 210 species ( compagno , 1999 ) . of this total , the catsharks ( scyliorhinidae ) are one of the most diverse groups , with 8 . 6 % of the known species ; only requiem sharks ( carcharhinidae ) and skates ( rajidae ) have larger percentages , 11 . 0 % and 10 . 0 % , respectively ( compagno , 1999 ) . this figure does not include several new scyliorhinid species and subspecies , awaiting formal description ( human , 2004 ; unpublished data ) . at least 16 catshark species are endemic to southern africa , and it is expected that this number will increase as new species are identified and described ( compagno , 1999 ) . despite the abundance and diversity of these sharks , their biology is generally poorly known . the biology of five nearshore ( dainty , 2002 ) and six offshore ( ebert et al . , 1996 ; richardson et al . , 2000 ) southern african catsharks has been studied , but much is still unknown about their reproductive biology . the predation rate on the egg cases of four south african catshark species by boring gastropods is considerable ( smith and griffiths , 1997 ) .
david a . ebert , leonard j . v . compagno , paul d . cowley ; reproductive biology of catsharks ( chondrichthyes : scyliorhinidae ) off the west coast of southern africa , ices journal of marine science , volume 63 , issue 6 , 1 january 2006 , pages 1053–1065 , urltoken
ebert , d . a . , compagno , l . j . v . & cowley , p . d . 2006 . reproductive biology of catsharks ( chondrichthyes : scyliorhinidae ) off the west coast of southern africa . ices journal of marine science 63 ( 6 ) : 1053 - 1065 .
galeus is a genus of catshark , belonging to the family scyliorhinidae , commonly known as sawtail catsharks in reference to a distinctive saw - toothed crest of enlarged dermal denticles , found along the upper edges of their caudal fins . [ 3 ] they are found in the atlantic , the western and central pacific , and the gulf of california , inhabiting deep waters at or close to the sea floor . members of this genus are rather small , slim sharks with firm bodies and thick , rough skin . their heads are usually fairly long and pointed , and have large mouths with well - developed furrows at the corners . they have large pectoral and anal fins , and two similar dorsal fins placed well back . many species are ornately patterned with dark saddles and / or blotches . sawtail catsharks feed on various invertebrates and fishes , and may be either egg - laying or live - bearing . these harmless sharks are sometimes caught as bycatch but are of minimal commercial value .
bass , a . j . ; d ' aubery , j . d . ; kistnasamy , n . ( 1975 ) . sharks of the east coast of southern africa . ii . the families scyliorhinidae and pseudotriakidae . south african association for marine biological research , oceanographic research institute investigational report no . 37 .
a bycatch in deepwater fisheries ( bottom longline and trawl , and baited trap ) . while there are no specific data on bycatch trends , increasing bottom trawl effort for squids in the only known area of its distribution is a matter of concern , where the species is frequently taken as bycatch . the squid fishery operates in southern brazil during winters when the malvinas current extends northwards to santa catarina state , producing optimal conditions for reproducing aggregations of squid . heavy fishing occurred in the winters of 2001 and 2002 , however , conditions were not suitable in 2003 and the squid fishery did not operate in southern brazil in that year .
the diet of the african sawtail catshark consists of small bony fishes , squid , and crustaceans . it is the only member of its genus known to be aplacental viviparous ; reproduction proceeds year - round , with females bear litters of up to 12 pups . in relatively shallower waters , this shark is caught incidentally and utilized for meat or fishmeal . the fisheries off namibia , where it is most abundant , are well - managed and do not threaten its population . given also that sharks in deeper waters are not significantly fished , the international union for conservation of nature ( iucn ) has assessed this species as least concern .
human , b . a . 2006 . size - corrected shape variation analysis and quantitative species discrimination in a morphologically conservative catshark genus , poroderma smith , 1837 ( chondrichthyes : carcharhiniformes : scyliorhinidae ) . african natural history 2 : 1 - 15 .
off corsica , sicily , and southern portugal , and in the ionian , southern adriatic , and aegean seas , most of the blackmouth catsharks captured are immature , suggesting there has been a negative impact of fishing pressure . [ 1 ] [ 30 ] however , the species remains extremely abundant in a number of areas , and survey and fishery data have not shown any evidence of overall population decline . the wide range of depths it occupies likely afford it some protection against fishing , particularly given a 2005 ban on trawling deeper than 1 , 000 m ( 3 , 300 ft ) in the mediterranean . [ 1 ] [ 6 ] therefore , the international union for conservation of nature ( iucn ) has listed the blackmouth catshark under least concern . in the waters of the european commission , fishing for this species is managed as part of the total allowable catch ( tac ) for deepwater sharks . [ 1 ]
jacobsen , i . p . & bennett , m . b . 2007 . description of a new species of catshark , atelomycterus marnkalha n . sp . ( carcharhiniformes : scyliorhinidae ) from north - east australia . zootaxa 1520 : 19 - 36 .
a small pale grey catshark with seven or eight brownish saddle - like blotches across the back ( three before the first dorsal fin ) , interspersed with about eight slightly smaller blotches ; inside of mouth dusky . this species was previously known as galeus boardmani .
ivanov , o . a . 1987 . a new capture of the rare catshark , apristurus longicephalus ( scyliorhinidae ) journal of ichthyology 27 ( 1 ) : 147 - 149 [ voprosy ikhtiologii 27 ( 5 ) : 862 - 864 ( 1986 ) ] .
iglésias , s . p . , nakaya , k . & stehmann , m . 2004 . apristurus melanoasper , a new species of deep - water catshark from the north atlantic ( chondrichthyes : carcharhiniformes : scyliorhinidae ) . cybium 28 ( 4 ) : 345–356 .
the tiger catshark ( halaelurus natalensis ) is a species of catshark , belonging to the family scyliorhinidae . it is found over sandy areas and near reef peripheries off south africa and perhaps mozambique , from close to shore to usually no deeper than 100 m ( 330 ft ) . reaching a length of 50 cm ( 20 in ) , this small , slim shark has a broad , flattened head with an upturned snout tip . it can additionally be identified by its dorsal colour pattern of ten dark brown saddles on a yellowish brown background .
compagno , l . j . v . & stevens , j . d . 1993a . atelomycterus fasciatus n . sp . , a new catshark ( chondrichthyes : carcharhiniformes : scyliorhinidae ) from tropical australia . records of the australian museum 45 ( 2 ) : 147 - 169 .
the tiger catshark is endemic to southern africa , but the limits of its distribution are not well known . it is known to occur off the western and eastern cape , south africa , while easterly records from kwazulu - natal and mozambique are uncertain due to confusion with the lined catshark . a common , bottom - dwelling inhabitant of the continental shelf , this shark favours sandy flats and the edges of reefs . it is usually found from the shore to a depth of 100 m ( 330 ft ) ; sharks in the eastern part of its range tend to occur in deeper water than those in the west . there are species records from as deep as 172 m ( 564 ft ) , [ 1 ] as well as a single dubious record from 355 m ( 1 , 165 ft ) down on the continental slope . it may segregate by size , with the adults found farther from shore . [ 2 ] [ 4 ]
the coral catshark is found in waters off of bangladesh , cambodia , china , india , indonesia , japan , malaysia , pakistan , papua new guinea , philippines , singapore , taiwan , thailand , and vietnam . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
séret , b . 1987 . halaelurus clevai , sp . n . , a new species of catshark ( scyliorhinidae ) from off madagascar , with remarks on the taxonomic status of the genera halaelurus gill and galeus rafinesque . special publication of the jlb smith institute of ichthyology 44 : 1 - 28 .
when foraging , the blackmouth catshark swings its head from side to side to employ its senses more effectively . it likely relies mainly on vision and ampullae of lorenzini that are evenly arranged , which enhances spatial resolution and is best suited for localizing fast - moving prey . [ 27 ] [ 28 ]
there over 100 species in of small sharks in this family . catsharks are around 1 - 5 feet in length , but most species are around 3 feet long . they have long , cat - like eyes ; two small dorsal fins set back on their bodies ; and most species are patterned with stripes , spots , or patches . most species of catshark lay their eggs in egg cases . most species of catshark are found from the continental shelf to deep - water slope regions . catsharks are found in all the world ' s oceans , except for the antarctic . they eat small fish and invertebrates .
a little - known but common australian catshark found on the outer continental shelf and upper slope , presumably on or near the bottom ( ref . 11146 , 75154 ) . feeds mainly on fish , crustaceans , and cephalopods ( ref . 6871 ) . appears to aggregate by sex ( ref . 6871 ) .
bottom - dwelling and inactive , the tiger catshark feeds on a wide variety of fishes and invertebrates from on or near the sea floor . an oviparous species , the female retains her eggs internally until the embryos are at an advanced state of development , resulting in a relatively short hatching time after laying . between 12 and 22 encapsulated eggs are produced at a time , which the female attaches to the bottom . the tiger catshark is caught incidentally by commercial and recreational fishers but has no economic value . it has been listed as data deficient by the international union for conservation of nature ( iucn ) , pending more information .
sawtail catsharks pose no danger to humans and have little economic value , though varying numbers are caught incidentally by deepwater commercial fisheries . some of the larger species , such as g . melastomus and g . polli , are occasionally utilized for meat , fishmeal , and / or leather . [ 12 ] the international union for conservation of nature ( iucn ) has listed g . atlanticus and g . mincaronei , both of which have very restricted distributions , as near threatened and vulnerable respectively . [ 17 ] [ 18 ]
white , w . t . , last , p . r . & stevens , j . d . 2007 . halaelurus maculosus n . sp . and h . sellus n . sp . , two new species of catshark ( carcharhiniformes : scyliorhinidae ) from the indo - west pacific . zootaxa 1639 : 1 - 21 .
harmless to humans , [ 10 ] the tiger catshark is caught incidentally by bottom trawlers , recreational anglers , and rarely squid fishers . though edible , it is not a valued catch and is usually discarded . the international union for conservation of nature ( iucn ) presently lacks sufficient data to assess its conservation status . [ 1 ] [ 4 ]
found on or near the bottom , the blackmouth catshark favors a muddy habitat . [ 11 ] there is little evidence for segregation by sex . [ 8 ] [ 12 ] a number of studies in the northern and western mediterranean have reported that adults occur deeper than juveniles . [ 9 ] [ 11 ] [ 12 ] [ 13 ] other studies though have found no such pattern . it is possible that areas such as the waters off southern france offer a habitat suitable for sharks of all ages . [ 14 ] another explanation with some scientific support is that adults are most common at intermediate depths , while young sharks are restricted to shallower water and both adults and juveniles are found in deeper water . if true , the age - depth inconsistencies observed from previous research could have resulted from incomplete depth sampling . [ 6 ]
south africa ' s marine and coastal management ( mcm ; formerly the sea fisheries research institute ) research ship frs “africana” has , since 1983 , conducted cruises along the west coast of southern africa aimed at determining the biomass and recruitment of cape hake merluccius capensis and m . paradoxus . those two species are the target of a major demersal fishery . since 1986 , chondrichthyan samples for life history and systematic studies have been collected as a matter of course during these routine hake biomass surveys . results published to date include an extensive overview on the distribution of the chondrichthyan fauna ( compagno et al . , 1991 ) , and information on the feeding ecology of the three major elasmobranch groups , including the skates , dogfish sharks , and catsharks ( ebert et al . , 1991 , 1992 , 1996 ) . several species collected and examined during the study were previously undescribed and have since either been described , such as the paddlenose chimaera ( rhinochimaera africana ; compagno et al . , 1990 ) and the tiger - tail skate ( leucoraja compagnoi ; stehmann , 1995 ) , or are currently under investigation by the authors . this paper is one in a series on the biology of the cartilaginous fish off the west coast of southern africa . here we report on the reproductive biology of five species of catshark collected during the research cruises of frs “africana” .
slow - swimming but active , the blackmouth catshark is a generalist that preys on a wide variety of crustaceans , cephalopods , and fishes . its visual and electroreceptive systems are adept at tracking moving , bioluminescent prey . this species is oviparous , with females producing batches of up to 13 egg cases throughout the year . because of its abundance , the blackmouth catshark forms a substantial part of the bycatch of deepwater commercial fisheries across much of its range . it has low economic value and is usually discarded , though the largest sharks may be marketed for meat and leather . the international union for conservation of nature ( iucn ) has listed this species under least concern , as there is no indication that its numbers have declined despite fishing pressure .
the centers of biodiversity for galeus are the north atlantic ( 8 species ) and the northwestern pacific ( 4 species ) . a few outlying species are found in the south atlantic ( g . mincaronei and g . polli ) , oceania ( g . gracilis and g . priapus ) , and the gulf of california ( g . piperatus ) . in the western indian ocean , this genus appears to be replaced by the ecologically similar genus holohalaelurus . [ 3 ] [ 10 ] [ 11 ] sawtail catsharks are demersal in habits and occur in deep water over outer continental and insular shelves and upper slopes . [ 10 ] [ 12 ]
compared to the frilled shark , the southern african frilled shark has several proportional differences , including a longer head and gill slits , more widely spaced eyes and nares , broader mouth , and a greater distance between the head and the pectoral fins . the largest known female is the immature 117 cm ( 46 in ) long holotype , and the largest known males measure 99 cm ( 39 in ) long . in life the shark is dark gray , but covered with a thin membrane that gives it a uniform dark brown color . [ 1 ]
the blackmouth catshark ( galeus melastomus ) is a species of catshark , and part of the family scyliorhinidae , common in the northeastern atlantic ocean from iceland to senegal , including the mediterranean sea . it is typically found over the continental slope at depths of 150–1 , 400 m ( 490–4 , 590 ft ) , on or near muddy bottoms . the youngest sharks generally inhabit shallower water than the older juveniles and adults . this slim - bodied species is characterized by the black interior of its mouth , a marbled pattern of pale - edged brownish saddles or blotches along its back and tail , and a prominent saw - toothed crest of enlarged dermal denticles along the upper edge of its caudal fin . it reaches lengths of 50–79 cm ( 20–31 in ) , with sharks in the atlantic growing larger than those in the mediterranean .
constantine samuel rafinesque briefly described the blackmouth catshark in his 1810 caratteri di alcuni nuovi generi e nuove specie di animali e piante della sicilia : con varie osservazioni sopra i medesimi , wherein he referenced the distinctive black interior of its mouth ( from which the specific epithet melastomus is derived ) . no type specimen was designated . [ 2 ] this species may also be called the black - mouthed dogfish . [ 3 ] a 2005 phylogenetic analysis that included five galeus species , based on mitochondrial and nuclear dna , found that g . melastomus forms a clade with g . murinus , apart from the clade of g . eastmani , g . gracilis , and g . sauteri . [ 4 ] the oldest documented blackmouth catshark fossils come from the northern apennines and date to the lower pliocene ( 5 . 3–3 . 6 ma ) . [ 5 ]
within its range , the blackmouth catshark is one of the most abundant sharks over the upper and middle continental slope . [ 9 ] it is nomadic in nature and may be found alone or in groups . relatively slow , this shark swims with strong eel - like ( anguilliform ) undulations of its body . it often cruises just above the sea floor , perhaps taking advantage of the ground effect ( a reduction in the drag on a wing when close to the ground ) to save energy . it has also been seen resting motionless on the bottom . [ 6 ] [ 12 ] [ 19 ] [ 20 ] known predators of the blackmouth catshark include the kitefin shark ( dalatias licha ) and the european flying squid ( todarodes sagittatus ) . [ 21 ] [ 22 ] parasites that have been documented from this species include the tapeworm ditrachybothridium macrocephalum and the protist eimeria palavensis . [ 23 ] [ 24 ]
sato , k . , nakaya , k . & yorozu , m . 2008 . apristurus australis sp . nov . , a new long - snout catshark ( chondrichthyes : carcharhiniformes : scyliorhinidae ) from australia . in : descriptions of new australian chondrichthyans . ( eds . p . r . last , w . t . white and j . j . pogonoski ) . csiro marine and atmospheric research paper ; 022 : 113 - 121 . csiro marine and atmospheric research , hobart .
white , w . t . , last , p . r . & pogonoski , j . j . 2008 . apristurus bucephalus sp . nov . , a new deepwater catshark ( carcharhiniformes : scyliorhinidae ) from southwestern australia . in : descriptions of new australian chondrichthyans . ( eds . p . r . last , w . t . white and j . j . pogonoski ) . csiro marine and atmospheric research paper ; 022 : 105 - 111 . csiro marine and atmospheric research , hobart .
sasahara , r . , sato , k . & nakaya , k . 2008 . a new species of deepwater catshark , apristurus ampliceps sp . nov . ( chondrichthyes : carcharhiniformes : scyliorhinidae ) , from new zealand and australia . in : descriptions of new australian chondrichthyans . ( eds . p . r . last , w . t . white and j . j . pogonoski ) . csiro marine and atmospheric research paper ; 022 : 93 - 104 . csiro marine and atmospheric research , hobart .
galeus , derived from the greek galeos meaning
shark
, is one of the oldest carcharhiniform generic names . it was first used in a binomial by constantine samuel rafinesque in his 1810 caratteri di alcuni nuovi generi e nuove specie di animali ( principalmente di pesci ) e piante della sicilia : con varie osservazioni sopra i medesimi . [ 4 ] rafinesque listed g . melastomus , g . vulpecula ( = alopias vulpinus ) , g . mustelus ( = mustelus mustelus ) , and g . catulus ( = scyliorhinus canicula ) . subsequently , in 1816 georges cuvier used galeus to refer to the genus presently known as galeorhinus , and in 1818 william elford leach used galeus to refer to genus presently known as mustelus . as a result , 19th century authors generally used galeus for the tope sharks , and pristiurus , coined by charles lucien bonaparte in 1834 , for the sawtail catsharks . [ 3 ]
rafinesque likely intended g . mustelus to be the type species for galeus , but of his listed species he furnished a description only for g . melastomus . therefore , in 1908 henry weed fowler designated g . melastomus as the type species of galeus , establishing the genus to contain the sawtail catsharks . [ 5 ] pristiurus became a junior synonym , though it continued to appear in scientific literature for some time after . fowler ' s definition of galeus gained widespread acceptance after henry bryant bigelow and william charles schroeder ' s 1948 taxonomic review . [ 3 ] [ 6 ] in 1952 , philip orkin advocated that pristiurus take precedence over galeus , based on david starr jordan and barton warren evermann ' s ( possibly questionable ) designation of g . mustelus as a type species for galeus in 1896 . [ 7 ] leonard compagno and most other recent authors have not upheld his proposal , in the interests of taxonomic stability . [ 3 ]
the tiger catshark is a sluggish predator of a diverse array of benthic organisms . [ 4 ] its diet is dominated by bony fishes and crustaceans , and also includes cephalopods , polychaete worms , smaller sharks , and scavenged fish offal . [ 1 ] [ 2 ] it has been observed at the spawning grounds of the chokka squid ( loligo vulgaris reynaudi ) , feeding on squid that have descended to the bottom to mate and deposit eggs . [ 7 ] documented predators of this species include the broadnose sevengill shark ( notorynchus cepedianus ) and the ragged tooth shark ( carcharias taurus ) . [ 8 ] [ 9 ]
sawtail catsharks reach maximum lengths of between 25 and 90 cm ( 9 . 8 and 35 . 4 in ) . they have slender , firm bodies and narrow , slightly flattened heads with short to long , pointed snouts . the nostrils are divided into incurrent and excurrent openings by triangular flaps of skin on their anterior rims . the horizontally oval eyes are placed mostly on the sides of the head and equipped with rudimentary nictitating membranes ( protective third eyelids ) ; below each eye is a subtle ridge , and behind is a small spiracle ( auxiliary respiratory opening ) . the mouth is rather large and wide , and when closed the upper teeth are exposed . there are short to long furrows around the corners of the jaws . the teeth are small and number 47 - 78 rows in the upper jaw and 48 - 82 rows in the lower jaw ; each tooth has a narrow central cusp flanked by one or more smaller cusplets on either side . there are five pairs of gill slits . [ 3 ] [ 12 ]
the blackmouth catshark is widely distributed in the northeastern atlantic ocean , from southwestern iceland and trondheim , norway southward to senegal , including the faroe islands , the british isles , the azores , and the northern portion of the mid - atlantic ridge . it occurs throughout the mediterranean sea , save for the northern waters of the adriatic and aegean seas , and is absent from the black sea . [ 1 ] this species primarily inhabits the continental slope , at depths of 150–1 , 400 m ( 490–4 , 590 ft ) . however , it has been documented from water as shallow as 50–60 m ( 160–200 ft ) off southern france , and as deep as 2 , 300–3 , 850 m ( 7 , 550–12 , 630 ft ) in the eastern mediterranean . [ 6 ] the depths at which it is most common vary between regions , for example 300–500 m ( 980–1 , 640 ft ) in the bay of biscay , [ 7 ] 400–800 m ( 1 , 300–2 , 600 ft ) off portugal , [ 8 ] 500–800 m ( 1 , 600–2 , 600 ft ) in the strait of sicily , [ 6 ] 1 , 000–1 , 400 m ( 3 , 300–4 , 600 ft ) in the catalan sea , [ 9 ] and 1 , 500–1 , 830 m ( 4 , 920–6 , 000 ft ) in the eastern mediterranean . [ 10 ] water temperature does not appear to be an important factor in determining the distribution of this species . [ 6 ]
this study presents information on the reproductive biology of five southern african catshark species : apristurus microps , a . saldanha , apristurus sp . , galeus polli , and scyliorhinus capensis . they were caught between walvis bay , namibia , and cape agulhas , south africa , from 50 to 1016 m deep . the reproductive mode of four species was oviparous , whereas g . polli exhibited aplacental viviparity . males of all species attained first maturity slightly larger than females , and males of the four oviparous species attained a larger l tmax than females . the length at 50 % maturity was similar for males and females in most species . all species matured at an l t > 75 % of l tmax except for male apristurus spp . and female g . polli , which matured at 71 . 2 % and 68 . 8 % , respectively , of l tmax . the egg case of a . microps has minute tendrils , whereas those of s . capensis were quite long , suggesting different egg - laying habitats . fecundity in g . polli ranged from 5 to 13 , and litter size increased in relation to increased female length . embryos of g . polli were large , each measuring approximately 30 % of female l t . neonates of g . polli were common and appear to have a demersal lifestyle ; those of the four oviparous species were entirely absent from the study . gravid a . microps were found in summer and winter , indicating a protracted breeding cycle , but reproductively active s . capensis were caught only in winter . prior to this study , reproductive information on these catsharks was largely lacking .
the frilled shark ( c . anguineus ) was long thought to be the only extant member of its genus and family . the existence of a second chlamydoselachus species off southern africa was first suspected from a specimen caught off lüderitz , namibia in february 1988 , by the south african research ship frs africana ( after which this species would eventually be named ) . the specimen was an adult male smaller than other known mature c . anguineus , and subsequent investigations revealed other consistent differences between frilled sharks in this region and c . anguineus . the new species was termed chlamydoselachus
sp . a
, before being formally described in 2009 by david ebert and leonard compagno , in a paper for the scientific journal zootaxa . the holotype was a 117 cm ( 46 in ) long immature female caught at a depth of 409 m ( 1 , 342 ft ) off the cunene river , namibia , by the research vessel benguela . [ 1 ]
the southern african frilled shark looks very similar to the frilled shark , with a long snake - like body and a broad , flattened head . the eyes are large and rounded . the sizable mouth is placed terminally on the blunt snout , containing around 30 tooth rows in the upper jaw and 27 tooth rows in the lower jaw . each tooth has three slender , smooth , recurved cusps , with tiny cusplets between them , and a base that interlocks with the tooth behind it . there are six pairs of long gill slits , with the first pair meeting over the throat . the pectoral fins are broad and rounded , originating just behind the sixth gill slit . the pelvic and anal fins are large with long bases and curved margins . the single dorsal fin is set far back on the body over the anal fin , and has a short base . the caudal fin is low and somewhat triangular , without a lower lobe . [ 1 ]
a total of 195 specimens ( 94 males and 101 females ) was caught during the surveys , and were fairly abundant off southern namibia . the overall f : m sex ratio was 1 : 0 . 93 , and it did not differ significantly from the expected unity ( p > 0 . 05 ) . comparison of the sex ratios of adults and adolescents , however , did show a significant difference , with an f : m ratio of 1 : 0 . 65 ( χ 2 = 6 . 21 , d . f . = 1 , p < 0 . 05 ) and 1 : 4 . 20 ( χ 2 = 8 . 65 , d . f . = 1 , p < 0 . 05 ) , respectively . the sex ratio of juveniles showed no significant difference ( p > 0 . 05 ) . comparison of l t – w regressions between males and females also revealed no significant difference ( p > 0 . 05 ; table 1 ) .
a bottom - dwelling catshark of the continental shelves , found on muddy sediments offshore at depths of 60–90 m in the taiwan strait and possibly deeper elsewhere ( compagno 1984 , compagno et al . 2005b ) . the species is caught at 100–200 m depth around guei shan island , taiwan ( chen et al . 1996 ) . males mature at 35–36 cm total length ( tl ) , females mature at 41–42 cm tl ( both 50 % maturity ) and the species reaches a maximum size of about 46 cm tl ( chen et al . 1996 ) . reproduction is oviparous , with no more than one egg case per oviduct at the same time measuring about 3 . 9 x 1 . 5 cm ( chen et al . 1996 ) . the species does not have a well defined reproductive season .
elasmobranchs separate by size , maturity status , and sex ( bullis , 1967 ; springer , 1967 ; ebert , 2003 ) , but the relatively even sex ratios found for most species indicated that both sexes of each maturity category were relatively evenly distributed within the study area . the overall sex ratio of four of the five species studied here approximated 1 : 1 , only a . microps significantly biased towards males . the sex ratios of apristurus sp . and s . capensis were not significantly different for any maturity category . adult male a . microps and a . saldanha and adolescent g . polli were found in greater proportions than females , whereas adult female g . polli and juvenile a . saldanha were found in a higher proportion than males . these differences in the sex ratios for some species may be associated with depth distribution , geography , habitat , season , or temperature ( compagno et al . , 1991 ) . however , given the relatively few specimens captured , and the time frame over which they were caught , the differences in the sex ratios may be simply a sampling artefact . further sampling may reveal more about the distribution of these catsharks off southern africa .
reproduction in the tiger catshark is oviparous : females produce 6–11 ( typically 6–9 ) eggs in each of their two oviducts at a time . [ 1 ] the eggs are contained in tough capsules around 4 cm ( 1 . 6 in ) long and 1 . 5 cm ( 0 . 59 in ) across ; the capsule has thick tendrils at the corners that allow it to be secured to the sea floor . the female retains the eggs internally until the embryos are substantially developed , measuring at least 4 . 3 cm ( 1 . 7 in ) long . thus , the eggs hatch within only one or two months of being laid , reducing the amount of time that they are exposed to predators . [ 4 ] [ 5 ] males and females begin to reach sexual maturity at lengths of 29–35 cm ( 11–14 in ) and 30–44 cm ( 12–17 in ) respectively . [ 2 ]
harmless to humans and of little economic value , [ 3 ] the blackmouth catshark is caught incidentally in large numbers by commercial bottom trawl and longline fisheries . in particular , it is among the most commonly bycaught sharks in trawls targeting deepwater lobsters and shrimps ( nephrops norvegicus , parapenaeus longirostris , aristeus antennatus , and aristaeomorpha folicea ) , operating off portugal and in the mediterranean . most captured sharks are discarded , probably with heavy mortality . some fisheries , such as those off portugal and italy , retain and utilize a small subset of the largest individuals for human consumption fresh or dried and salted , and for leather ; the fishing fleet of viareggio , tuscany reported landing 700 kg ( 1 , 500 lb ) in 2005 . in the northeastern atlantic , this shark is being increasingly targeted by fishers following the decline of other deepwater shark species . [ 1 ] [ 8 ] [ 11 ] [ 13 ]
a review of the chondrichthyan reference collection of the western australian museum led to the discovery of several lots of previously undescribed catshark egg capsules ( chondrichthyes : scyliorhinidae ) that initially could not be assigned to any particular genus due to their novel morphology . these egg capsules bear unique , well - developed ridges running longitudinally along the length of the egg capsule and are t - shaped in cross section , with one of these egg capsules having an embryo inside . the egg capsules and the embryo are described in detail , and compared against other genera of australian catsharks . it is hypothesised that the egg capsules belong to the genus apristurus garman based on the gross morphology of the embryo . there are two candidate species of australian apristurus whose egg capsule remain unknown and to which genus the egg capsules could belong . however , based on the gross morphology of the embryo , it is possible that they represent an undescribed species .
males of all species studied here attained first maturity at a greater l t than females . further , males matured at a slightly larger l t50 than females in a . microps and s . capensis , with l t50 broadly similar in the other species . studies on catsharks elsewhere have indicated that males of many species mature at about the same size or often slightly larger than females ( compagno , 1984 ; cross , 1988 ; richardson et al . , 2000 ) . this is contrary to the condition found in most viviparous sharks , females tending to mature larger than males . cortes ( 2000 ) , in a survey of shark life history patterns , found that of 162 species studied , males matured larger in just 23 ( 14 . 2 % ) cases . however , males of 9 of the 17 species of catshark included in the survey matured at a size equal to or greater than that of the female ( cortes , 2000 ) .
the body of the tiger catshark is slim and firm , and it grows up to 50 cm ( 20 in ) long . the head is broad and flattened , with a distinct and upturned snout tip . the horizontally oval eyes are situated high on the head and protected by rudimentary nictitating membranes . beneath each eye is a broad ridge , and behind is a spiracle . the medium - sized nostrils are divided by lobe - like flaps of skin on their anterior rims . the nasal flaps do not reach the large mouth , which forms a wide arch and bears short furrows around the corners . when the mouth is closed , the centre of the lower jaw falls well short of the upper , leaving the upper teeth exposed . [ 5 ] the teeth are small and 3 - cusped ( rarely 5 - cusped ) , with the central cusp the longest . [ 6 ] the five pairs of gill slits are placed higher than the level of the mouth and face somewhat upwards . [ 5 ]