Boa catshark

JAMARC

This next shark is a catshark in the Scyliorhinidae family, often found in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. 

The boa catshark (Scyliorhinus boa) can be observed on continental shelves and insular slopes up to 675 m (2214 ft) deep. This deep water shark reaches a maximum size of 0.54 m (1.8 ft), however not much else is known about its biology. In fact, this is a poorly known catshark in general. Although endemic to the Caribbean Sea/Gulf of Mexico, they are rarely caught as bycatch.

Their reproductive biology is not well known either, and therefore they are presumed to be oviparous. Although they have a small geographic range, so far they are safe from deep water fisheries, as none operate that deep. As such, their assessment is Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

ever heard of the boa catshark?

glossary

• Bycatch: The part of a fishery’s catch that is made up of non-target species.
• Continental shelf: Extends from a continent underwater, resulting in a shallow-water area.
• Continental slope: The steep slope from a continental shelf to the ocean floor; usually around 20 km (12.4 miles) wide and made up of mud and silt substrate. It is an ideal area for deepsea fishing.
• Endemic: Native to a specific region or environment and not occurring naturally anywhere else.
• Generas: Plural form of genus.
• Genus: A group of organisms ranking above a species and below a family.
• IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature.
• Oviparity/oviparous: Where adult Chondrichthyans lay eggcases (also known as ‘mermaid’s purses) and the baby develops inside the egg before hatching.
• Pup: Give birth to baby sharks (pups).
• Pups: Baby sharks.
• Insular slope: The shelf around an island.
• Viviparous: Eggs hatch inside the female's body and the babies are fed by a placenta which transfers nourishment from the mother to the babies (via an umbilical cord which is connected to the baby shark between the pectoral fins).​

say hello!

you may also like:

BLONDE SKATE

GIANT PURPLE CHIMAERA

GALAPAGOS BULLHEAD SHARK