Bythaelurus lutarius, Mud catshark

Bythaelurus lutarius (Springer & D'Aubrey, 1972)

Mud catshark
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Bythaelurus lutarius   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Bythaelurus lutarius (Mud catshark)
Bythaelurus lutarius
Picture by FAO

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

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); lutarius: Latin for “of the mud,” referring to its habitat on or just above muddy bottoms at 338-766 m (See ETYFish).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 338 - 766 m (Ref. 5510). Deep-water; 13°N - 29°S

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Western Indian Ocean: off Mozambique and Somalia.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?, range 30 - ? cm
Max length : 34.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 244); 39.0 cm TL (female)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. A slender, dwarf catshark with a moderately long snout and short labial furrows; caudal fin without crest of enlarged denticles (Ref. 5578). Dull grey-brown, paler ventrally, with few poorly defined dorsal saddles that may be visible (Ref. 5510).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Found on the continental slope on or just above muddy substrates (Ref. 5578). Feeds on cephalopods, small bony fishes, and crustaceans (Ref. 5578). Probably caught with bottom trawls (Ref. 30573).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Ovoviviparous, with 2 pups per litter (Ref. 5510).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Compagno, L.J.V., 1984. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 2 - Carcharhiniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/2):251-655. Rome: FAO. (Ref. 244)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)

  Data deficient (DD) ; Date assessed: 24 April 2018

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search |