Ghost catshark

Ghost catshark
Conservation status
Least Concern(IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Subdivision:	Selachimorpha
Order:	Carcharhiniformes
Family:	Scyliorhinidae
Genus:	Apristurus
Species:	A. manis
Binomial name
Apristurus manis (S. Springer,1979)

Theghost catshark(Apristurus manis) is acatsharkof thefamilyScyliorhinidae found on thecontinental slopesin the northwestAtlanticoffMassachusetts,the northeast Atlantic from the Porcupine Bank west ofIrelandand the southern Atlantic offCape Town,at depths between 600 and 1,900 metres (2,000 and 6,200 ft).

Description

The ghost catshark can grow up to 85 centimetres (33 in) in length and reaches maturity at a length of 75 centimetres (30 in) for females.

Distribution

The ghost catshark is ademersal(bottom-loving) species living just above the seabed in deep water in the Atlantic Ocean between 40° and 60° North. It is present on the continental slopes offMassachusettsin the United States and on thePorcupine Bankwest of Ireland. A reported sighting of thedeep-water catshark(Apristurus profundorum) offMauritaniamay have in fact been this species.It is also reported from deep water in the vicinity ofCape Townin South Africa.

Biology

The reproduction of the ghost catshark isoviparous.The eggs are laid in pairs and the growing young subsist entirely on the egg-yolk until they hatch.

Status

Very little is known of the biology of this deep water shark, but it is sometimes caught by research vessels. It lives below the depth range at which fishing is normally undertaken but it may be caught asbycatchin some deep water trawling activities, and it may be threatened in the future by an expansion of deep-water fisheries. TheInternational Union for Conservation of Naturehas assessed its conservation status for the time being as being of "least concern".