Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) >
Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks) >
Pentanchidae (Deepwater catsharks)
Etymology: Bythaelurus: bythos (Gr.), depths of the sea, referring to its deepwater habitat; ailouros (Gr.), cat, probably an allusion to the vernacular “catshark,” so named for its cat-like eyes (See ETYFish); giddingsi: In honor of Al Giddings (b. 1937), American underwater filmmaker, naturalist, and friend (See ETYFish).
Eponymy: Al Giddings is an underwater filmmaker and naturalist. He has also been active in the commercial film business as the cameraman for: The Deep (1977) and as co-producer of: Titanic (1997). Moreover, he is a friend of the senior author. (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on authors: McCosker, Long & Baldwin.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 428 - 562 m (Ref. 89625). Tropical
Pacific Ocean: presumed to be endemic to the Galápagos Islands.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 45.3 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 89625)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
This species is moderately sized and have the following characters: snout bluntly rounded;
preoral length 4.7-6.8% TL; short head, length about equal to pectoral-pelvic space, 21-24% TL; precaudal length 73-80% TL; dorsal and anal fins are subequal; length of anal-fin base about equal to length of interdorsal space; 81-85 (mean = 82.6) precaudal vertebrae; color chocolate brown dorsally, paler on ventral surface from snout to anus; body, flanks, caudal and median fins are overlain with pale spots about equal in size to eye, becoming smaller below lateral midline, and showing a bilaterally asymmetrical pattern. It differs from its congeners in its coloration, the length of its anal-fin base, and in other morphological characters (Ref. 89625).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.
This species were observed living on the bottom above sand or sand and mud substrates,
in the vicinity of lava boulders, either over flat bottoms or along slopes to 45° (Ref. 89625).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
McCosker, J.E., D.J. Long and C.C. Baldwin, 2012. Description of a new species of deepwater catshark, Bythaelurus giddingsi sp. nov., from the Galápagos Islands (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae). Zootaxa 3221:48-59. (Ref. 89625)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 2.6 - 3.3, mean 3.1 °C (based on 9 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5001 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00355 (0.00175 - 0.00721), b=3.08 (2.90 - 3.26), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.3 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate vulnerability (35 of 100).
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