Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) >
Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks) >
Pentanchidae (Deepwater catsharks)
Etymology: Bythaelurus: bythos (Gr.), depths of the sea, referring to its deepwater habitat; ailouros (Gr.), cat, probably an allusion to the vernacular “catshark,” so named for its cat-like eyes. (See ETYFish); bachi: In honor of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), a “musical genius and one of the greatest composers of all time” (so named because the senior author admires Bach and not for any Bach-like feature the shark might possess, Simon Weigmann, pers. comm.) [see also B. vivaldii]. (See ETYFish).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; pelagic-oceanic; depth range 910 - 1365 m (Ref. 113731). Tropical
Distribution
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri
Western Indian Ocean: Madagascar Ridge at Walters Shoals.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 42.2 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 113731); 44.5 cm TL (female)
The females of this species based on total length are mature at 39.2 cm and immature at 36.1 cm, while males are mature at 40.0 cm and immature at 37.6 cm . The size at hatching based on the three post-embryonic specimens is estimated at around 12.0 cm TL (Ref. 113731).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Weigmann, S., D.A. Ebert, P.J. Clerkin, M.F.W. Stehmann and G.J.P. Naylor, 2016. Bythaelurus bachi n. sp., a new deep-water catshark (Carcharhiniformes, Scyliorhinidae) from the southwestern Indian Ocean, with a review of Bythaelurus species and a key to their identification. Zootaxa 4208(5):401-432. (Ref. 113731)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5001 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00355 (0.00176 - 0.00714), b=3.09 (2.91 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.3 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary low fecundity).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (35 of 100).