DiscoverSpeciesSharks and rays
Phallic Catshark
Galeus priapus
- Usual depth307–769 m
- Water temperature24–28 °C
- Best monthsMarch and December
- How commonRare
About this species
The phallic catshark is a species of shark belonging to the family Pentanchidae, the deepwater catsharks. It is found on or near the ocean floor, in the deep waters off New Caledonia and Vanuatu. A slender species attaining a length of 46 cm (18 in), it is characterized by a long caudal fin bearing a crest of enlarged dermal denticles along the dorsal margin, and very long claspers in adult males. This shark is gray-colored, with four dark saddles along the back and tail.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Phallic catshark”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
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Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 0 records
- February: 0 records
- March: 4 records
- April: 0 records
- May: 0 records
- June: 0 records
- July: 0 records
- August: 0 records
- September: 0 records
- October: 1 records
- November: 0 records
- December: 4 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 307–769 m · Deepest record: 769 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 24–28 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Phallic Catshark
Names in 1 more languages
- French
- Chien Priape
Similar species
Slender Sawtail CatsharkGaleus gracilis
- Corrigan's Catshark
Galeus corriganae
- gecko catshark
Galeus eastmani
- Longnose Sawtail Catshark
Galeus longirostris
- broadfin sawtail catshark
Galeus nipponensis
- blacktip sawtail catshark
Galeus sauteri
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).
- 17 open-data records from 1993 to 1994.
- Species data updated November 2, 2026.
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