Black-tip sawtail catshark

About the Black-tip sawtail catshark

The black-tip sawtail catshark is a small species of ground shark found in and around Japan, Philippines and Taiwan. Adults reach a maximum length of 45 cm. It lives near the bottom, around muddy sediments, at depths of 60 to 200 m. Because of this it’s commonly caught as by-catch by shrimp bottom trawlers.

Members of this species are usually brown and with black tips on the dorsal and caudal fins. Very little is known about their biology, but they’re known to be oviparous. Females lay one egg at time and they can lay eggs throughout the year. The frequency of their reproduction is currently unknown. The eggs are purse-shaped, translucent golden-brown capsules.

Further studies are required to determine their population health. Demersal fisheries certainly affect their numbers, but because of the lack of available information this is species is considered by the IUCN as data deficient.

Do you have images or videos of Black-tip sawtail catsharks?
Submit them to [email protected].

Black-tip sawtail catshark Gallery