The velvet catshark (''Parmaturus lanatus'') is a deepwater

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 ...

. It is known only from a single specimen collected off the

Tanimbar Islands The Tanimbar Islands, also called ''Timur Laut'', are a group of about 65 islands in the Maluku (province), Maluku Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. The largest and most central of the islands is Yamdena; others include Selaru to t ...

in the Arafura Sea,

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, at a depth. The only known specimen, a juvenile male, measured a total of in length.

Distribution

The shark is found in the Western Pacific. It has a depth range of depth range of , making it bathydemersal.

References

velvet catshark fish of Indonesia velvet catshark {{shark-stub