Blackgill catshark

{{Short description|Species of shark}}

{{speciesbox

| image =

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Rigby, C.L. |author2=Chen, X. |author3=Ebert, D.A. |author4=Herman, K. |author5=Ho, H. |author6=Hsu, H. |author7=Zhang, J. |date=2020 |title=Parmaturus melanobranchus |volume=2020 |page=e.T161497A124495582 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T161497A124495582.en |access-date=18 November 2021}}

| taxon = Dichichthys melanobranchus

| authority = W. L. Y. Chan, 1966

| synonyms = {{Specieslist

| Figaro melanobranchus

| (W. L. Y. Chan, 1966)

| Parmaturus melanobranchius

| (W. L. Y. Chan, 1966)

| Parmaturus melanobranchus

| (W. L. Y. Chan, 1966)

| Figaro piceus

| Chu, Meng & Liu, 1983

| Galeus piceus

| (Chu, Meng & Liu, 1983)

}}

| range_map = Parmaturus melanobranchius distmap.png

}}

The blackgill catshark or blackgill bristle shark (Dichichthys melanobranchus) is a deep water bristle shark known from very few specimens, found on or near the bottom on the continental slope, at {{convert|540|-|835|m}} off the coasts of China and Japan. Specimens can attain a total length of at least {{convert|85|cm|abbr=on}}, have elongated cat-like eyes, and have two small dorsal fins set far back. They’re oviparous and lay one egg at a time.{{Cite web |title=Blackgill Catshark {{!}} Parmaturus melanobranchius {{!}} Shark Database |url=https://www.sharkwater.com/shark-database/sharks/black-gill-catshark/ |access-date=2022-10-11 |website=www.sharkwater.com}} This shark is a potential bycatch of deep water bottom-trawl fisheries operating within its range, but no specific information is available. In the upper jaw, there are rods of blunt, flat teeth with 3 cusps, likely used for crushing, as well as row of sharper teeth with the mid, central cusp longer and to a point. The bottom teeth are sharp, pointed, jagged and have three cusps, with the middle cusp slightly longer than the surrounding two.{{Cite web |title=Blackgill Catshark {{!}} PLANET SHARK DIVERS |url=https://planetsharkdivers.com/blackgill-catshark/ |access-date=2022-10-11 |language=en-US}}