| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALIA | CHORDATA | CHONDRICHTHYES | CARCHARHINIFORMES | SCYLIORHINIDAE |
| Scientific Name: | Apristurus brunneus | |||||||||
| Species Authority: | (Gilbert, 1892) | |||||||||
Common Name/s:
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| Synonym/s: |
Catulus brunneus Gilbert, 1892
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| Taxonomic Notes: | The genus Apristurus contains at least 32 described species and a relatively large number of potentially undescribed ones. Morphological conservatism and, until recently, a lack of objectively defined characters makes this one of the most taxonomically confused shark genera (Compagno 1984, Nakaya and Sato 1999).
Nakaya and Sato (1999) defined three species groups within Apristurus: the longicephalus-group (two species), brunneus-group (20 species) and spongiceps-group (10 species). The brunneus-group is characterized by: a short, wide snout (prenarial length < 6% TL, 0.36 to 0.94 times in interorbital); 13 to 22 valves in the spiral intestine; upper labial furrows obviously longer than the lower furrows; a discontinuous supraorbital sensory canal. Compagno (1984) considered it likely that the specimens and records of A. brunneus from the western North Pacific represent an assemblage of two or more brunneus-like species. |
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| Red List Category & Criteria: | Data Deficient ver 3.1 |
| Year Published: | 2004 |
| Assessor/s: | Huveneers, C. & Duffy, C. |
| Reviewer/s: | Kyne, P.M., Cavanagh, R.D. & Fowler, S.L. (Shark Red List Authority) |
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Justification: A little-known deepwater shark from the outer continental shelf and upper slope, known from depths of 33 to 950 m in the Eastern Pacific. Reaches a maximum size of 68 cm total length (TL) and is oviparous with the incubation period of eggs possibly one year. Although Apristurus brunneus is reported to be a relatively common bycatch in deepwater trawl fisheries, insufficient catch and biological information is available to assess this species beyond Data Deficient. Species-specific monitoring of catches should be undertaken. |
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| Range Description: | A. brunneus is found in the eastern Pacific (British Columbia, Canada, to Northern Baja California, Mexico, probably south to Panama, Ecuador, and Peru). |
| Countries: |
Native:
Canada (British Columbia); Ecuador; Mexico (Baja California); Panama; Peru; United States (California, Oregon, Washington)
Presence uncertain:
Costa Rica; Guatemala; Honduras; Nicaragua
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| FAO Marine Fishing Areas: |
Native:
Pacific – northeast; Pacific – eastern central
Presence uncertain:
Pacific – southeast
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| Range Map: | Click here to open the map viewer and explore range. |
| Population: | It is relatively common where it occurs (Compagno 1984). |
| Population Trend: |
Unknown
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| Habitat and Ecology: | A little-known deepwater shark from the outer continental shelf and upper slope from depths of 33 to 950 m. Occurs on or near the bottom, and also well above it. Reproduction is oviparous with a single egg at a time per oviduct. Egg cases are about 5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, with long tendrils that are probably used to attach them to hard substrates and/or biogenic structures. The incubation period is possibly a year. In Canadian waters females carry egg cases from February to August. Diet includes primarily penaeid shrimps but also euphausiids, squids and small fishes. |
| Systems: | Marine |
| Major Threat(s): | Commonly taken as bycatch in deepwater trawl fisheries. |
| Conservation Actions: | There are no conservation measures currently in place for this species. |
| Citation: | Huveneers, C. & Duffy, C. 2004. Apristurus brunneus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 22 May 2012. |
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