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Catshark
 
 
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The cat sharks or catsharks are a family
Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is a taxonomic rank. Exact details of formal nomenclature depend on the Nomenclature Codes which applies....
 (Scyliorhinidae) of shark
Shark

Sharks are a type of fish with a full Cartilage skeleton and a highly Streamlines, streaklines and pathlinesd body. They respire with the use of five to seven gill slits....
s, with over 110 species
Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring....
 recorded. Paradoxically perhaps, while the group is called the cat shark family, many species are commonly called dogfish
Dogfish

Dogfish is a name applied to a number of small sharks found in the northeast Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea oceans. It is applied especially to those in the three Family Scyliorhinidae, Dalatiidae, and Squalidae....
. Recent DNA analysis have shown this group to be more closely related to batoids than to other sharks.

They are found in temperate and tropical seas worldwide, ranging from very shallow intertidal waters to depths of or more, depending on species.

sharks may be distinguished by their elongated cat
Cat

The cat , also known as the Domestication cat or house cat to distinguish it from other Felinae and Felidae, is a small predationy carnivore species of crepuscular mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt vermin, snakes, scorpions, and other unwanted household pests....
-like eyes and two small dorsal fin
Dorsal fin

A wikt:dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of some fish, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the ichthyosaurs. Its main purpose is to stabilize the animal against rolling and assist in sudden turns....
s set far back.






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The cat sharks or catsharks are a family
Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is a taxonomic rank. Exact details of formal nomenclature depend on the Nomenclature Codes which applies....
 (Scyliorhinidae) of shark
Shark

Sharks are a type of fish with a full Cartilage skeleton and a highly Streamlines, streaklines and pathlinesd body. They respire with the use of five to seven gill slits....
s, with over 110 species
Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring....
 recorded. Paradoxically perhaps, while the group is called the cat shark family, many species are commonly called dogfish
Dogfish

Dogfish is a name applied to a number of small sharks found in the northeast Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea oceans. It is applied especially to those in the three Family Scyliorhinidae, Dalatiidae, and Squalidae....
. Recent DNA analysis have shown this group to be more closely related to batoids than to other sharks.

They are found in temperate and tropical seas worldwide, ranging from very shallow intertidal waters to depths of or more, depending on species.

Description

Cat sharks may be distinguished by their elongated cat
Cat

The cat , also known as the Domestication cat or house cat to distinguish it from other Felinae and Felidae, is a small predationy carnivore species of crepuscular mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt vermin, snakes, scorpions, and other unwanted household pests....
-like eyes and two small dorsal fin
Dorsal fin

A wikt:dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of some fish, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the ichthyosaurs. Its main purpose is to stabilize the animal against rolling and assist in sudden turns....
s set far back. Most species are not particularly large, with lengths up to 60 - 70 cm or so, although the humpback cat shark
Humpback cat shark

The humpback cat shark, Apristurus gibbosus, is a cat shark of the family Scyliorhinidae in the order Carcharhiniformes, found in the northwest Pacific Ocean off Zhujiang, South China Sea, from the surface to 915 m....
, Apristurus gibbosus, from the deep waters of the South China Sea
South China Sea

The South China Sea is a marginal sea*south of China,*west of the Philippines,*north west of Sabah , Sarawak and Brunei,*north of Indonesia,...
 has been recorded at 4 m in length. Most of the species have a patterned appearance, ranging from stripes to patches to spots. They feed on invertebrate
Invertebrate

An invertebrate is an animal lacking a vertebral column. The group includes 98% of all animal species ? all animals except those in the Chordate subphylum vertebrate ....
s and smaller fish
Fish

A fish is any marine biology vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scale , and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins....
. Some species are ovoviviparous
Ovoviviparity

Ovoviviparous, also known as oviviparous, animals develop within Egg s that remain within the mother's body up until they hatch or are about to hatch....
, but most lay eggs in tough egg-cases with curly tendrils at each end, known as mermaid's purse
Mermaid's purse

Mermaid's purses are the normally empty Egg cases of skates, sharks and batoidea. They are among the objects which are washed in by the sea, and can be found at the shore, at the furthest point of the high tide....
s.

The "swell sharks" of the genus
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
 Cephaloscyllium
Cephaloscyllium

Cephaloscyllium is a genus of catshark in the Family Scyliorhinidae. A common feature is the ability to expand the body by taking in air or water to make it appear larger to predators....
 have the curious ability to fill their stomachs with water or air when threatened, increasing their girth by a factor of 2 or 3.

Aquaria


The Australian marbled catshark
Australian marbled catshark

The Australian marbled catshark, Atelomycterus macleayi, is a catshark of the family Scyliorhinidae found in the eastern Indian Ocean endemic to Western Australia between latitudes 12th parallel south and 21st parallel south, from the surface to 245 m....
, Atelomycterus macleayi, is a favored type for home aquaria
Aquarium

An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. fishkeeping use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants....
, because it rarely grows to more than in length. The coral catshark
Coral catshark

The coral catshark, Atelomycterus marmoratus, is a catshark of the family Scyliorhinidae found in the Indo-Pacific oceans from Pakistan and India to Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Viet Nam, the Philippines, southern China, and Taiwan....
, however, is the most common scyliorhinid in home aquaria.

Genera

The family includes 146 species, grouped into 16 genera, making it the largest family of sharks.

Family Scyliorhinidae
  • Genus Apristurus
    Apristurus

    Apristurus is a genus of catshark in the Family Scyliorhinidae....
     (36 species)
  • Genus Asymbolus
    Asymbolus

    Asymbolus is a genus of catshark in the Family Scyliorhinidae....
     (9 species)
  • Genus Atelomycterus
    Atelomycterus

    Atelomycterus is a genus of catshark in the Family Scyliorhinidae....
     (5 species)
  • Genus Aulohalaelurus
    Aulohalaelurus

    Aulohalaelurus is a genus of catshark in the Family Scyliorhinidae....
     (1 species)
  • Genus Cephaloscyllium
    Cephaloscyllium

    Cephaloscyllium is a genus of catshark in the Family Scyliorhinidae. A common feature is the ability to expand the body by taking in air or water to make it appear larger to predators....
     (18 species)
  • Genus Cephalurus (1 species)
  • Genus Figaro (2 species)
  • Genus Galeus
    Galeus

    Galeus is a genus of catshark in the Family Scyliorhinidae....
     (17 species)
  • Genus Halaelurus
    Halaelurus

    Halaelurus is a genus of catshark in the Family Scyliorhinidae....
     (14 species)
  • Genus Haploblepharus
    Haploblepharus

    Haploblepharus is a genus of catshark in the Family Scyliorhinidae....
     (4 species)
  • Genus Holohalaelurus
    Holohalaelurus

    Holohalaelurus is a genus of catshark in the Family Scyliorhinidae....
     (5 species)
  • Genus Parmaturus
    Parmaturus

    Parmaturus is a genus of catshark in the Family Scyliorhinidae....
     (9 species)
  • Genus Pentanchus (1 species)
  • Genus Poroderma
    Poroderma

    Poroderma is a genus of catshark in the Family Scyliorhinidae. The colour of these sharks are usually grey with dark stripes. These rare fish are found in South Africa and are nocturnal....
     (2 species)
  • Genus Schroederichthys
    Schroederichthys

    Schroederichthys is a genus of catshark in the Family Scyliorhinidae....
     (5 species)
  • Genus Scyliorhinus
    Scyliorhinus

    Scylorhinus is a genus of catsharks in the Family Scyliorhinidae....
     (15 species)


Cladogram

  • Schyliorhinidae
    • Caninoa
    • Schyliorhininae
    • Galeinae
      • Pentanchini
      • Galeini
        • Galeina
        • Halelaelurina
    • Atelomycterininae
    • Schroedericthyinae


See also

  • List of sharks
    List of sharks

    Shark classificationSharks belong to the superorder Selachimorpha in the subclass Elasmobranchii in the class Chondrichthyes. It is a fish. The Elasmobranchii also include batoidea and skate s; the Chondrichthyes also include Chimaeras....


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