Best Scyliorhinidae

The small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula) is a small, bottom-dwelling shark belonging to the family Scyliorhinidae. It is one of the most abundant shark species in the northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, typically residing on the seabed in shallow coastal waters. The species...

The ghost catshark is a rarely observed deep-sea elasmobranch belonging to the Scyliorhinidae family. It is notable for its pale appearance and benthic lifestyle, inhabiting the extreme depths of continental slopes where light does not penetrate. Originally described in 1909, the species exhibits ad...

The chain catshark (Scyliorhinus retifer) is a small marine elasmobranch species inhabiting the western Atlantic Ocean from Nova Scotia to Nicaragua, typically found at depths between 75 and 550 meters. Named for its distinctive chain-like pattern of dark lines on a lighter background, this shark gr...

The coral catshark, scientifically known as Atelomycterus marmoratus, is a small species of catshark belonging to the family Scyliorhinidae. It is native to the Indo-West Pacific region, where it primarily inhabits shallow coral reefs and tide pools. The species is distinguished by its striking, dar...

The nursehound is Scyliorhinus stellaris, a large catshark in the family Scyliorhinidae found in the northeastern Atlantic. It is a benthic marine shark associated with the seabed and is notable for laying egg cases. These cases are often called mermaid's purses, a familiar term in coastal natural-h...

The Australian swellshark is Cephaloscyllium laticeps, a catshark found in southern Australian waters. When threatened, it can inflate its body by swallowing water or air, making it harder for a predator to remove it from a crevice or otherwise handle it. This defensive behavior distinguishes the sp...

The draughtsboard shark, Cephaloscyllium isabellum, is a catshark in the family Scyliorhinidae and is endemic to New Zealand. Its common name refers to the dark blotches that form a checkerboard-like pattern on the body. It is a bottom-dwelling marine shark associated with rocky reefs and sandy area...

The dwarf catshark, Scyliorhinus torrei, is a small catshark in the family Scyliorhinidae. FishBase records it from the western central Atlantic, including southern Florida, the Bahamas, and Cuba, where it lives on or near the seabed at roughly 200 to 600 metres depth. It has a pale brown elongated...

The blackmouth catshark, Galeus melastomus, is a deepwater catshark found in the eastern Atlantic from the waters around Iceland and Norway south to Senegal and in the Mediterranean Sea. It lives on or near muddy bottoms, commonly along the continental slope, and is a demersal species. Its identifyi...

The longnose catshark is a distinctive deep-sea shark notable for its exceptionally long, flattened snout, a physical adaptation studied in deep waters since its discovery in 1972.

The cloudy catshark, Scyliorhinus torazame, is a small bottom-dwelling shark in the catshark family Scyliorhinidae. It lives in the northwest Pacific, including waters around Japan, and is associated with the seafloor rather than open-water habitat. Its name refers to the cloudy or saddle-like darke...

The tiger catshark is Halaelurus natalensis, a small South African catshark notable for its tiger-like bars and endemic southwest Indian Ocean range.

The mouse catshark is a small deep-sea shark notable for its disproportionately large eyes and modest size, typically inhabiting the cold waters of the northeastern Atlantic Ocean.

The pale catshark is a deep-water shark found in the Atlantic Ocean, notable for its strikingly uniform pale coloration and its oviparous reproductive strategy.

A deep-sea catshark (Scyliorhinidae) of the western Pacific recognized by its unusually broad, flattened head and found at mesopelagic to upper bathypelagic depths.