False catshark

CSIRO National Fish Collection - http://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1696

The false catshark (Pseudotriakis microdon) is a deep-sea shark that gets its name from its cat-like eyes. Fin Fact: It’s a species in the Pseudotriakidae family, the sole members of its genus! It's a cosmopolitan shark, reported on the continental slopes in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans and at depths of 500-1,400 m (1,600-4,600 ft). 

Also known as the sofa shark, it is typically dark brown in colour, with darker fin margins. They sport a long first dorsal fin and a small lower caudal fin lobe, as well as a large mouth to consume its favourite prey: cutthroat eels, grenadiers, lantern sharks, squids, octopus, and Heterocarpus shrimp. These sharks are slow-moving predators, and probably opportunistic scavengers, as well. Females grow to be 3 m (10 ft) in length, with males measure 2.7 m (8.8 ft).

They are viviparous and usually give birth to two pups at a time. Fin Fact: These sharks partake in oophagy! Little is known about their population size, but due to them residing in the deep (usually away from longlines and bottom trawls) the IUCN has assessed these animals as Least Concern (LC).

References:

• 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: 251-655.
• Fishbase: Pseudotriakis microdon. [Online January 2003].
• Tricas, T.C., McCosker, J.E., & T.I. Walker. in Taylor, L. (Ed). 1997. Sharks & Rays. Harper Collins. Pp.288.

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glossary

• Bycatch: The part of a fishery’s catch that is made up of non-target species.
• Cannibalism: Eating your own kind.
• 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.
• Cosmopolitan: Worldwide distribution.
• 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.
• Longline fishing: The commercial fishing industry’s version of traditional hook and line fishing.
• Monotypic: Where a genus only has a single species.
• Oophagy: Sometimes called "oviphagy;" when developing embryos feed on unfertilized eggs.
• Pectoral fins: Fins located behind the gills on either side.
• Pup: Give birth to baby sharks (pups).
• Pups: Baby sharks.
• Teleost: Bony fishes.
• Trawl fisheries: Fisheries that pull a fishing net through the water behind one or more boats.
• 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 behind the between the pectoral fins).

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