White-clasper Catshark

description

Description. Scyliorhinid catshark with flabby, soft body, trunk slightly depressed, tail compressed and tapering to caudal fin, head moderately depressed, height 8.6 % TL, head shorter than abdomen, pectoral to pelvic space 24.2 % TL, 1.2 in abdomen length; pelvic to anal space short, 1.9 as long as anal-fin base; caudal peduncle high and compressed (width 1.7 in height) but strongly reduced (long upper and lower caudal lobes extending anteriorly almost to insertions of dorsal and anal fins as low convex ridges), anal to caudal space 4.2 % anal-fin base length. Snout short and rounded-parabolic in dorsoventral view, tip broadly rounded, narrowly rounded in lateral view; preoral length 5.9 % TL, 1.7 times mouth width; prenarial snout 1.1 times eye length. Eyes of moderate size, length 3.8 % TL, 5.2 times in head length; eyes strongly dorsolateral on head, with well-developed subocular ridges. Mouth large, short and very broad; broadly arched, width 9.9 % TL, 1.7 times its length; labial furrows very short, confined to mouth corner, lower furrows somewhat longer than upper furrows, 0.9 % TL. Nostrils large with tube or slit-like incurrent apertures (somewhat asymmetric in holotype);

Four new species of deep-water catsharks of the genus Parmaturus (Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae) from New Caledonia, Indonesia and Australia

description

Parmaturus melanobranchus differs from P. albipenis by: well-developed crests of enlarged denticles on caudal margins (crests without enlarged denticles); shorter pre-pelvic length (39 % TL versus 47 % TL); longer mouth (7 % TL versus 3.1 % TL); head longer than abdomen (rather than shorter); and a dark brown or greyish coloration (brownish). Parmaturus pilosus differs from P. albipenis by: well-developed crests of enlarged denticles on caudal margins (crests without enlarged denticles); and teeth with 5 – 7 cusps (versus 3 – 4). Parmaturus macmillani differs from P. albipenis by: well-developed crests of slightly enlarged denticles on caudal margins (crests without enlarged denticles); and teeth with 5 – 6 cusps (versus 3 – 4).

Four new species of deep-water catsharks of the genus Parmaturus (Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae) from New Caledonia, Indonesia and Australia

description

White-clasper Catshark (English), holbiche à sexe blanc (French) Halaelurus sp.: Grandperrin et al., 1995: table 3, p. 35 and table 4, p. 42 (listed)

Four new species of deep-water catsharks of the genus Parmaturus (Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae) from New Caledonia, Indonesia and Australia

diagnosis

Diagnosis. A scyliorhinid catshark with the following combination of characters: soft body; velvety skin with small, tricuspidate denticles; claspers whitish, contrasting with a brownish body coloration; caudal crests present but denticles not enlarged, crests extending almost to second dorsal and anal-fin insertions; teeth tri- or quadricuspidate, in about 130 rows in upper jaw; first dorsal fin slightly in front middle of back, pre-first dorsal length 46.2 % TL, origin slightly in front of pelvic-fin origin; pelvic-fin origin slightly in front of midbody, pre-pelvic length 47.1 % TL; vent slightly behind mid-body, pre-vent length 52.0 % TL; snout short, prenarial length 4.3 % TL; mouth short, mouth length 3.1 % TL; labial furrows very short, confined to mouth corners; head shorter than abdomen, head length 19.8 % TL, pectoral-pelvic length 24.2 % TL; dorsal fins large, subequal in size, anterior margins about 11.3 % TL, first dorsal more erect than second; subterminal caudal lobe well developed, subterminal margin length 5.7 % TL, terminal margin length 5.1 % TL; monospondylous centra 39; precaudal centra 79.

Four new species of deep-water catsharks of the genus Parmaturus (Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae) from New Caledonia, Indonesia and Australia