The flaccid catshark (''Apristurus exsanguis'') is a

catshark Catsharks are ground sharks of the family Scyliorhinidae. They are the largest family of sharks with around 160 species placed in 17 genera. Although they are generally known as catsharks, some species can also be called dogfish due to previous n ...

of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Scyliorhinidae. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the waters around

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Distribution

This species is found only around New Zealand, although this species' collection records indicate it is widespread and probably continuously distributed over the mid- to lower

slope In mathematics, the slope or gradient of a line is a number that describes both the ''direction'' and the ''steepness'' of the line. Slope is often denoted by the letter ''m''; there is no clear answer to the question why the letter ''m'' is use ...

around New Zealand. The biology of all ''

Apristurus ''Apristurus'' is a genus of catsharks, the family Scyliorhinidae, commonly known as the ghost or demon catsharks. Species The 39 currently recognized species in this genus are: * '' Apristurus albisoma'' Nakaya & Séret, 1999 (white-bodied c ...

'' species within the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone is very poorly known due to the uncertain taxonomy of the group. They appear to be most abundant below 1,000 m, and are the only

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimo ...

s regularly taken in research trawls below 1,200 m on the

Chatham Rise The Chatham Rise is an area of ocean floor to the east of New Zealand, forming part of the Zealandia continent. It stretches for some from near the South Island in the west, to the Chatham Islands in the east. It is New Zealand's most productive ...

. As relatively little fishing occurs below 1,200 m, a large part of their population may be effectively beyond fishing depths.

Conservation status

The New Zealand

Department of Conservation An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...

has classified the flaccid catshark as "Data deficient" under the

New Zealand Threat Classification System The New Zealand Threat Classification System is used by the Department of Conservation to assess conservation priorities of species in New Zealand. The system was developed because the IUCN Red List, a similar conservation status system, had some ...

References

External links

Image of ''Apristurus exsanguis'' specimen held at National Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1951356 Apristurus Endemic marine fish of New Zealand Taxa named by Keiichi Sato (ichthyologist) Taxa named by Kazuhiro Nakaya Taxa named by Andrew L. Stewart Fish described in 1999