Family Scyliorhinidae

Catsharks

The Scyliorhinidae are small sharks, commonly known as catsharks. This is the largest family of sharks with 87 species described. They occur on a range of substrata, soft, rough, rocky and coralline, in shallow or deep tropical and temperate marine waters. Sycliorhinidae are distributed off Atlantic coasts from Morocco northward to the Shetlands and Southern Scandinavia and also in the Mediterranean (Whitehead et al., 1989).

Cat sharks are recognised by the presence of two dorsal fins, the first slightly larger than the second and originating over or behind the middle of the pelvic base. Other diagnostic features include numerous small teeth in several rows,  similar in shape in both upper and lower jaws. There are five gill slits, the fourth and fifth over the pectoral fin base. Cat sharks reach a maximum length of approximately 1.6 m in the study area (Whitehead et al., 1989). 

During the present survey this family was observed actively swimming over the coral debris zone just past the Darwin Mounds and over the seabed in the Porcupine Seabight. It did not appear to be disturbed by the presence of the camera.

The family does not appear to be of any direct commercial importance but bycatch can be sold locally as rock salmon or as bait for the lobster fishery.

There is more information available for this family on FishBase.

Prepared by: Ecological Consultancy Services Ltd www.ecoserve.ie