Barbelthroat Carpetshark

About the Barbelthroat Carpetshark

The Barbelthroat Carpetshark is a rare and poorly known species of carpetshark found in the South China Sea, in the Northwest Pacific, between China and the Philippines. It has been recorded at depths between 183 m and 190 m (600–623 ft) and lives near or on the seafloor.

Barbelthroat carpetsharks grow to at least 33.5 cm (13.2 in) in total length. The two known specimens were females measuring 30.6 cm and 33.5 cm (12.0–13.2 in). They are presumed to be oviparous, meaning they reproduce by laying eggs. Very little is known about the biology and distribution of this species due to taxonomic confusion with other species of carpetshark, particularly the Saddled Carpetshark.

The Barbelthroat Carpetshark may be caught incidentally as bycatch in demersal trawl fisheries. However, there is not enough information to assess its population status. In 2020, the IUCN listed the species as Data Deficient.

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