DiscoverSpeciesSharks and rays
Longhead catshark
Apristurus longicephalus
- Usual depth899–1,057 m
- Water temperature23–29 °C
- Best monthsApril
- How commonRare
About this species
The longhead catshark or smoothbelly catshark is a species of shark, family Pentanchidae, the deepwater catsharks. This shark has a patchy distribution in the Indo-Pacific from Mozambique to southern Japan to northern Australia. It is found in water between 500 and 1,140 m deep. This species grows to 59 cm (23 in) long, and is characterized by its extremely long and narrow snout, short abdomen, and long anal and caudal fins. In addition, a large area of the anterior ventral portion of its body lacks dermal denticles. The longhead catshark is oviparous. It is the only known cartilaginous fish that is normally hermaphroditic, with the majority of individuals having both the functional reproductive organs of one sex and the undeveloped reproductive organs of the opposite sex.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Longhead catshark”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 1 records
- February: 7 records
- March: 0 records
- April: 44 records
- May: 0 records
- June: 0 records
- July: 0 records
- August: 0 records
- September: 0 records
- October: 0 records
- November: 1 records
- December: 0 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 899–1,057 m · Deepest record: 1,201 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 23–29 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Longhead catshark, Smoothbelly Catshark
Names in 6 more languages
- German
- Langköpfiger Katzenhai
- Spanish
- Pejegato Cabezón
- French
- Holbiche à grande tête
- Japanese
- Tenguherazame, テングヘラザメ
- Thai
- ปลาฉลามแมวหัวยาว
- Simplified Chinese
- 沙魚, 長頭光尾鯊, 長頭篦鮫, 長頭篦鯊
Similar species
- grey roundfin catshark
Apristurus albisoma
- Roughskin Catshark
Apristurus ampliceps
- Pinocchio Catshark
Apristurus australis
- Bighead Catshark
Apristurus bucephalus
- Deepwater Catshark
Apristurus exsanguis
- longfin catshark
Apristurus herklotsi
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 92 open-data records from 1985 to 2002.
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