Narraetail catshairk

Narraetail catshairk
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kinrick:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Cless:	Chondrichthyes
Subcless:	Elasmobranchii
Superorder:	Selachimorpha
Order:	Carcharhiniformes
Faimily:	Scyliorhinidae
Genus:	Schroederichthys
Species:	S. maculatus
Binomial name
Schroederichthys maculatus S. Springer, 1966

The narraetail catshairk, Schroederichthys maculatus, is a catshairk o the faimily Scyliorhinidae, foond aff the coasts o Honduras an Nicaragua, atween latitudes 18° N an 10° N, at depths atween 190 an 410 m (620 an 1,350 ft). It can grow up tae a lenth o 35 cm (14 in). The reproduction o this catshairk is oviparous.

Description

The narrowtail catshark is vera elongatit baith as an adult an as a juvenile, growin tae a lenth o aboot 35 cm (14 in). The dorsal surface an flanks are licht grey or tan, spottit wi white. Juveniles hae sax tae nine licht broun saddle-shapit markins dorsally, but these fade in adultheid. The unnerpairts are pale.

Distribution

The narraetail catshairk is endemic tae the Caribbean Sea whaur it is foond aff the coasts o Honduras, Nicaragua an Colombie, an in the aurie o sea atween Honduras an Jamaica. It occupees the edge o the continental shelf an the upper pairts o the slope, its depth range bein atween aboot 190 an 410 m (620 an 1,350 ft). It prefers tae be abuin seabeds componit o fine calcareous materials.

Ecology

The narraetail catshairk is a demersal species, cruisin alang close tae the seabed an feedin mainly on smaw fish an cephalopods. Ane specimen wis foond tae hae algae in its stomach. This catshark is oviparous, the female probably producin ane egg in each oviduct, an the developing embryos dependin on the egg yowk for nourishment. Acause this species reteens the same bouk proportions at aw ages while ither members o the genus dae no, it haes been suggestit that it is a pedomorphic dwarf, reteenin its juvenile fuirm an maturin at a hintle smawer size than ither members o the genus.

Status

Vera little is kent aboot this shaork an its ecology. It haes a restrictit range but is subject tae little fishin pressur acause there are nae commercial trawl fisheries operatin in the Caribbean Sea at the depths at which this fish lives. In the absence o kent threats, the population is presumit tae be stable, an the Internaitional Union for Conservation o Naitur haes assessed its conservation status as bein o "least concern".