Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) >
Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks) >
Scyliorhinidae (Cat sharks)
Etymology: Apristurus: Greek, a = without + Greek, pristis = saw + Greek, oura = tail (Ref. 45335); melanoasper: Name refers to its black coloration and rough skin (Greek 'melanos' = black; Latin 'asper' = rough).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 512 - 1520 m (Ref. 56212). Deep-water, preferred ?
North Atlantic: Slope, off northern U.S. and off France, Ireland and British Isles.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?, range 55 - 59 cm
Max length : 76.1 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 56212); 73.2 cm TL (female); max. published weight: 1.3 kg (Ref. 56212); max. published weight: 1.3 kg
Short description
Morphology | Morphometrics
Diagnosis: Body uniformly black, slightly brownish in larger specimens. Dermal denticles large and giving a rough texture to the skin. Upper labial furrows longer than the lower ones. First dorsal fin only slightly smaller than the second dorsal fin, originating from above anterior third to middle of the pelvic fin base. Second dorsal fin insertion just before level of anal fin insertion. Interorbital space 1.9-3.5 times eye horizontal diameter. Abdomen between pectoral fin tip and pelvic fin origin 1.3-2.5 times pectoral fin width. Spiral valves of the intestine 19-23 (mostly 21-22). Monospondylous + precaudal diplospondylous vertebrae 36-43 + 26-32 (often 38-40 + 28-30). Dermal denticles on tongue and palate absent (Ref. 56212).
Found generally at depths of more than 1000 meters (Ref. 56212).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Iglésias, S.P., K. Nakaya and M. Stehmann, 2004. Apristurus melanoasper, a new species of deep-water catshark from the North Atlantic (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae). Cybium 28(4):345-356. (Ref. 56212)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
More information
Age/SizeGrowthLength-weightLength-lengthLength-frequenciesMorphometricsMorphologyLarvaeLarval dynamicsRecruitmentAbundance
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00324 (0.00157 - 0.00666), b=3.11 (2.93 - 3.29), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 4.0 ±0.4 se; Based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
69278): Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Fec assumed to be <10).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): High vulnerability (56 of 100) .