McMillan's catshark

McMillan's catshark (Parmaturus macmillani) is a small catshark (growing up to 45 cm in length) found in the lower continental slope around New Zealand. 

​Known from only two New Zealand specimens (and three in south-east Africa), this catshark is in the Scyliorhinidae family and may be rare… I say “may be” because fishing often occurs at 1,000-1,500 metres deep and are rarely caught. Perhaps the captures at 1,000 metres are the shallower end of a deeper range. *ominous music*

Currently not much else is known about Parmaturus macmillani, which is why the IUCN has assessed them as Data Deficient (DD).

what #finfact did you learn about this animal?

glossary

• 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 deep sea fishing
• IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature.

say hello!

you may also like:

SMALLTOOTH SAND TIGER SHARK

YELLOW SHOVELNOSE STINGAREE

ORNATE NUMBFISH