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); canescens: Latin for hoary gray, referring to its “uniform greyish” coloration (presumably in spirits since this shark is brown in life) (See ETYFish).
More on author: Günther.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 250 - 700 m (Ref. 244). Deep-water; 2°S - 56°S, 81°W - 70°W
Southeast Pacific: Peru and Chile to the Straits of Magellan.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 70.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 244)
Found on the upper continental slopes primarily on mud, but also on rock bottoms. Feeds on bottom invertebrates. Oviparous, with a single egg per oviduct at a time. Not utilized at present.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Oviparous; apparently laying a single egg per oviduct at a time (Ref. 244).
Compagno, L.J.V., 1984. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 2 - Carcharhiniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/2):251-655. Rome: FAO. (Ref. 244)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804) |
PD50 = 0.5001 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high]. |
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Bayesian length-weight
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a=0.00347 (0.00171 - 0.00701), b=3.09 (2.91 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245). |
Trophic level (Ref. 69278) |
4.5 ±0.4 se; based on diet studies. |
Resilience (Ref. 120179) |
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100). |
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153) |
Low to moderate vulnerability (35 of 100). 🛈 |
Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649) |
Low to moderate vulnerability (34 of 100). 🛈 |