''Figaro'' is a genus of catshark, and part of the family Scyliorhinidae. Until 2008, ''Figaro'' was generally considered to be a

subgenus In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...

of '' Galeus'' (sawtail catsharks). The two known species are found off

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, inhabiting deep, offshore waters on or near the bottom. ''Figaro'' contains small, slender, firm-bodied sharks that bear distinctive crests of enlarged, spiny

dermal denticle A fish scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of the skin of a fish. The skin of most jawed fishes is covered with these protective scales, which can also provide effective camouflage through the use of reflection and colouration, as we ...

s along the dorsal and ventral edges of their short caudal fins. The caudal peduncle is relatively long, such as that the anal and caudal fins are some distance apart. In adult males, the inner margins of the

pelvic fin Pelvic fins or ventral fins are paired fins located on the ventral surface of fish. The paired pelvic fins are homologous to the hindlimbs of tetrapods. Structure and function Structure In actinopterygians, the pelvic fin consists of two en ...

s are fused together to form a subtle "apron" over the claspers. ''F. boardmani'' is a predator of fishes, crustaceans, and

cephalopod A cephalopod is any member of the molluscan class Cephalopoda (Greek plural , ; "head-feet") such as a squid, octopus, cuttlefish, or nautilus. These exclusively marine animals are characterized by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head ...

s, and is

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...

; less is known about the ''F. striatus''. Both are harmless and are of no economic importance.

Taxonomy

''Figaro'' was coined as a

of ''Pristiurus'' by Australian

ichthyologist Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish, including bony fish ( Osteichthyes), cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes), and jawless fish (Agnatha). According to FishBase, 33,400 species of fish had been described as of Octobe ...

Gilbert Percy Whitley in a 1928 issue of the

scientific journal In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. Content Articles in scientific journals are mostly written by active scientists such as s ...

''Records of the Australian Museum'', to contain his newly described species ''P. boardmani''. In 1908,

Henry Weed Fowler Henry Weed Fowler (March 23, 1878 – June 21, 1965) was an American zoologist born in Holmesburg, Pennsylvania. He studied at Stanford University under David Starr Jordan. He joined the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and worked as ...

synonymized ''Pristiurus'' with the genus '' Galeus''. Though Whitley elevated ''Figaro'' to the rank of full genus in 1939, most authors continued to regard ''Figaro'' as a subgenus of ''Galeus''. In 1983, Yuan-Ting Chu and colleagues referenced ''Figaro'' to contain ''Galeus boardmani'', ''Dichichthys melanobranchus'' (=''

Parmaturus melanobranchus The blackgill catshark (''Parmaturus melanobranchus'') is a deep water catshark known from very few specimens, found on or near the bottom on the continental slope A continental margin is the outer edge of continental crust abutting oceanic cr ...

''), and ''F. piceus'' (=''P. melanobranchus''). However, it is uncertain whether they intended to resurrect ''Figaro'' or were simply unaware of its synonymy with ''Galeus'', and their use of the ventral denticle crest to define the genus posed taxonomic problems. In 2008, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) researchers Daniel Gledhill, Peter Last, and William White resurrected ''Figaro'' with additional defining characters, to contain ''F. boardmani'' and the new species ''F. striatus''. The genus has since been generally accepted as distinct. One of the key characteristics of ''Figaro'', the ventral crest of denticles on the caudal fin, is also present in several species of the genus '' Parmaturus'', as well as the

Springer's sawtail catshark Springer's sawtail catshark (''Galeus springeri'') is a species of catshark, belonging to the family Scyliorhinidae, found in waters deep off the islands of the Antilles, from Cuba to the Leewards. A small, slim-bodied species reaching a length ...

(''G. springeri'') and the

mouse catshark The mouse catshark (''Galeus murinus'') is a species of catshark and part of the family Scyliorhinidae. It is common in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean from Iceland to Western Sahara. There is much taxonomic confusion regarding this species in I ...

(''G. murinus''). ''Figaro'' also closely resembles the genus '' Asymbolus'' in several morphological characters, including the fusion of the

inner margins in adult males. More research is required to elucidate the relationships between ''Figaro'', ''Galeus'', ''Asymbolus'', and ''Parmaturus''.

Species

* '' Figaro boardmani'' ( Whitley, 1928) (Australian sawtail catshark) * '' Figaro striatus'' Gledhill, Last &

W. T. White W. may refer to: * SoHo (Australian TV channel) (previously W.), an Australian pay television channel * ''W.'' (film), a 2008 American biographical drama film based on the life of George W. Bush * "W.", the fifth track from Codeine's 1992 EP ''Bar ...

, 2008 (northern sawtail catshark)

Distribution and habitat

Both ''Figaro'' species are endemic to

n waters, ''F. boardmani'' in the south and ''F. striatus'' in the northeast. They are deepwater species found on or near the

sea floor The seabed (also known as the seafloor, sea floor, ocean floor, and ocean bottom) is the bottom of the ocean. All floors of the ocean are known as 'seabeds'. The structure of the seabed of the global ocean is governed by plate tectonics. Most of ...

, inhabiting the outer

continental shelf A continental shelf is a portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water, known as a shelf sea. Much of these shelves were exposed by drops in sea level during glacial periods. The shelf surrounding an island ...

and upper continental slope.

Description

The larger ''Figaro'' species, ''F. boardmani'', reaches long, while the smaller ''F. striatus'' reaches long. Members of this genus closely resemble ''Galeus'', with firm, slender bodies and short heads. The eyes are horizontally oval and equipped with rudimentary

nictitating membrane The nictitating membrane (from Latin '' nictare'', to blink) is a transparent or translucent third eyelid present in some animals that can be drawn across the eye from the medial canthus to protect and moisten it while maintaining vision. All ...

s (protective third eyelids); a narrow ridge is found beneath each eye and a tiny

spiracle Spiracle or spiraculum may refer to: * Spiracle (arthropods), opening in the exoskeletons of some arthropods * Spiracle (vertebrates), openings on the surface of some vertebrates * Spiraculum, a genus of land snails in family Cyclophoridae Cycl ...

behind. The anterior rims of the nostrils are enlarged into triangular flaps. The mouth is wide, with relatively short furrows at the corners, and contains small multi-cusped teeth. There are five pairs of gill slits. The first and second dorsal fins are similar in size and shape, and are placed mostly behind the pelvic and

anal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

s respectively. The space between the dorsal fins is much longer than the length of either dorsal fin base. The pectoral fins are short and broad, while the pelvic and

s are low with rather long bases. The pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins are proportionally smaller than in ''Galeus''. Unlike ''Galeus'' species, adult males have a slight "apron" formed by the fusion of the pelvic fin inner margins; the apron partially covers the claspers, which taper towards the tip. The caudal peduncle is long, with the anal and caudal fins well-separated. The caudal fin is short, with a small lower lobe and a ventral notch near the tip of the upper lobe. The body and fins are densely covered by tiny, overlapping

s. In addition, there are enlarged denticles that form prominent saw-like crests on both the dorsal and the ventral edges of the caudal fin. The dorsal coloration consists of dark saddles along the back and tail, which are wider in ''F. boardmani'' and thinner in ''F. striatus''. The two species also differ in various morphometric characters, such as in the relative size of the eye.

Biology and ecology

The natural histories of ''Figaro'' species are poorly known. ''F. boardmani'' feeds mostly on fishes, crustaceans, and

s, and has an

mode of reproduction.

Human interactions

Neither ''Figaro'' species is commercially important or significantly threatened by fishing activity, though ''F. boardmani'' forms a regular component of bottom trawl

bycatch Bycatch (or by-catch), in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while fishing for specific species or sizes of wildlife. Bycatch is either the wrong species, the wrong sex, or is undersized or juve ...

in commercial fisheries within its range. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed ''F. boardmani'' as Least Concern and ''F. striatus'' as

Data Deficient A data deficient (DD) species is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as offering insufficient information for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made. This does not necessaril ...

. Like other catsharks, ''Figaro'' species pose no danger to humans.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q574398 Shark genera Taxa named by Gilbert Percy Whitley Fish described in 1828