Iceland catshark
{{Short description|Species of shark}}
{{speciesbox
| image = Apristurus laurissoni fb.jpg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| taxon = Apristurus laurussonii
| authority = (Sæmundsson, 1922)
| range_map = Apristurus laurussoni distmap.png
| range_map_caption = Range of the Iceland catshark
| synonyms =
Apristurus maderensis Cadenat & Maul, 1966
Apristurus atlanticus Koefoed, 1927
Scylliorhinus atlanticus Koefoed, 1927
Scyllium laurussonii Sæmundsson, 1922
}}
The Iceland or Icelandic catshark (Apristurus laurussonii) is a species of shark, belonging to the family Pentanchidae, the deepwater catsharks. This catshark is found in the western Atlantic, from Massachusetts, Delaware, and the northern Gulf of Mexico, as well as the eastern Atlantic from Iceland, southwestern Ireland, the Canary Islands, Madeira, South Africa, and between 67 and 11°N. They are found in depths of 550 to 1450 meters near or at the bottom over upper continental slopes.
Etymology
The catshark was named by Sæmundsson, in honor of his friend Gísli Lárusson (1865–1935), a goldsmith, a watchmaker, farmer and nature enthusiast, for his support of the study of Icelandic fishes.{{cite web | url = http://www.etyfish.org/carcharhiniformes/ | title = Order CARCHARHINIFORMES (Ground Sharks): Families PENTANCHIDAE, SCYLIORHINIDAE, PROSCYLLIIDAE, PSEUDOTRIAKIDAE, LEPTOCHARIIDAE, TRIAKIDAE, HEMIGALEIDAE, CARCHARHINIDAE and SPHYRNIDAE | access-date = 18 January 2022 | author1 = Christopher Scharpf | author2 = Kenneth J. Lazara | name-list-style = amp | work = The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database | publisher = Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara | date = 22 September 2018 | archive-date = 27 January 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160127171408/http://www.etyfish.org/carcharhiniformes/ | url-status = dead }}
Description
It has a relatively slender body, tapering slightly toward the head. It has a broad and somewhat long, bell-shaped snout. It has short gill slits, and adults have small eyes. The first and second dorsal fins are almost the same size. It is dark brown with no prominent markings. It reaches a maximum size of around 67 cm. The average size ranges from 50 cm to 60 cm. Its diet consists of squid, bony fish, marine worms (such as the lugworm or clam worm), and crustaceans, including lobster, shrimp, and crabs.
References
{{Reflist}}
- {{FishBase | genus = Apristurus | species = laurussonii | month = July | year = 2006}}
- Compagno, L.J.V., 1999. Checklist of living elasmobranchs. p. 471–498. In W.C. Hamlett (ed.) Sharks, skates, and rays: the biology of elasmobranch fishes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Maryland.
{{Scyliorhinidae}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q2337557}}
Category:Fish of the North Atlantic
Category:Taxa named by Bjarni Sæmundsson
{{Shark-stub}}