Proscylliidae

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Finback catsharks
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Subclass: Elasmobranchii Order: Carcharhiniformes Family: Proscylliidae Compagno, L.J.V..1984
Genera
See text for genera and species

The finback catsharks are a small family (Proscylliidae) of sharks, with only 7 species in 4 genera.

Finback catsharks are small (< 1.2 m) deepwater sharks (50 - 713 m) with a disjunct distribution in tropical to warm temperate waters of the western north Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific. They have elongate, catlike eyes with nictitating eyelids, small cuspidate teeth, two small, spineless dorsal fins and anal fin. The first dorsal base is well ahead of the pelvic bases. Most species are ovoviviparous. The food of these harmless sharks consists of small fishes and invertebrates.

[edit] Genera and species

• Genus Ctenacis
  • Harlequin catshark, Ctenacis fehlmanni (Springer, 1968)
• Genus Gollum
  • Slender smooth-hound, Gollum attenuatus (Garrick, 1954)
• Genus Eridacnis
  • Cuban ribbontail catshark, Eridacnis barbouri (Bigelow & Schroeder, 1944)
  • Pygmy ribbontail catshark, Eridacnis radcliffei Smith, 1913
  • African ribbontail catshark, Eridacnis sinuans (Smith, 1957)
• Genus Proscyllium
  • Graceful catshark, Proscyllium habereri Hilgendorf, 1904
  • Proscyllium venustum (Tanaka, 1912)

[edit] See also

• List of sharks

[edit] External links

• "Proscylliidae". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. May 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.