| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALIA | CHORDATA | CHONDRICHTHYES | CARCHARHINIFORMES | SCYLIORHINIDAE |
| Scientific Name: | Apristurus gibbosus | |||
| Species Authority: | Meng, Chu & Li, 1985 | |||
Common Name/s:
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| Taxonomic Notes: | The genus Apristurus contains at least 32 described species and potentially a relatively large number of undescribed ones. Morphological conservatism and, until recently, a lack of objectively defined characters makes this one of the most taxonomically confused shark genera (Compagno 1984, Nakaya and Sato 1999). Nakaya and Sato (1999) defined three species groups within Apristurus: the longicephalus-group (two species), brunneus-group (20 species) and spongiceps-group (10 species). A. gibbosus belongs to the brunneus-group, characterized by: a short, wide snout (prenarial length <6% TL); 13 to 22 valves in the spiral intestine; upper labial furrows obviously longer than the lower furrows; a discontinuous supraorbital sensory canal. |
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| Red List Category & Criteria: | Data Deficient ver 3.1 |
| Year Assessed: | 2004 |
| Assessor/s | Duffy, C. & Huveneers, C. |
| Evaluator/s: | Kyne, P.M., Cavanagh, R.D. & Fowler, S.L. (Shark Red List Authority) |
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Justification: Apristurus gibbosus is only known from 10 specimens caught at around 900 m depth. An apparently rare species, it is possibly endemic to the East and South China Seas. Largest specimen examined is 54.2 cm total length (TL). It is probably taken in deepwater trawl fisheries and not identified. Insufficient information is available to assess the species beyond Data Deficient. |
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| Range Description: | A. gibbosus is only known from 10 specimens (seven males and three females) caught around 900 m depth. Possibly endemic to the East and South China Seas. The largest specimen examined by Nakaya and Sato (1999) was 54.2 cm TL. |
| Countries: |
Native:
China; Taiwan, Province of China
|
| FAO Marine Fishing Areas: |
Native:
Pacific – northwest
|
| Population: | An apparently rare species. |
| Population Trend: |
Unknown
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| Habitat and Ecology: | Apristurus species are relatively small, sluggish sharks that live on or near the bottom over continental and insular slopes. Diet includes crustaceans (penaeid shrimps, euphausiids), squids and small fishes. Where known reproduction is oviparous with one egg per oviduct. Egg cases are usually thick-walled and about 5 to 6.8 cm long and 2.5 to 2.9 cm wide. The anterior end of the case has a long weak fibrous thread on each corner. The posterior end usually has two small processes, each with a long coiled tendril. As in shallow water scyliorhinids the coiled tendrils are probably used to attach the egg cases to hard substrates and/or biogenic structures as they are laid. |
| Systems: | Marine |
| Major Threat(s): | Unknown. Probably taken in deepwater trawl fisheries and not identified. Other species of deepwater Chondrichthyans are known to be captured as bycatch in deepwater fisheries. As these fisheries expand globally, consideration needs to be given to the fact that this species too may be captured incidentally in deepwater fisheries. |
| Conservation Actions: | No conservation measures are currently in place for this species. |
| Citation: | Duffy, C. & Huveneers, C. 2004. Apristurus gibbosus. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2010. |
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