Philippines sawtail catshark

Philippines sawtail catshark
Holotype specimen (preserved)
Preserved head
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Division:	Selachii
Order:	Carcharhiniformes
Family:	Pentanchidae
Genus:	Galeus
Species:	G. friedrichi
Binomial name
Galeus friedrichi Ebert & Jang, 2022
Suspected range of the Philippines sawtail catshark in black

The Philippines sawtail catshark (Galeus friedrichi) is a rare species of sawtail catshark belonging to the family Pentanchidae, the deepwater catsharks. This species is native to the Philippines and is not known to attack humans. Only three specimens have been caught.

Distribution and habitat

This shark is endemic to marine waters off Dapitan, Philippines. All three specimens have been caught in water approximately 500 metres (1,600 ft) deep. ^[1]

Anatomy and appearance

It has enlarged denticles on the caudal fin, giving it a ''sawtail'' appearance like all other sawtail catsharks. The shark's body and caudal fin are not blotched. It also grows to 50 centimetres (20 in) TL and has more vertebrae, distinguishing it from all other catsharks. ^{[1] [2]}

Etymology

The shark is named in honor of German philanthropist Jürgen Friedrich, the co-founder of the JAF Foundation in Switzerland, because of his commitment to marine conservation, research, and advocacy. ^[3]

References

1. "Galeus friedrichi". shark-references.com. Jürgen Pollerspöck & Nicolas Straube. Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
2. Ebert, David A.; Jang, Jennifer (15 November 2022). "Galeus friedrichi (Carcharhiniformes: Pentanchidae), a new sawtail catshark from the Philippines". Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation. 39: 45–53. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7320085. Archived from the original on 31 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
3. Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Family PENTANCHIDAE Smith 1912 (Deepwater Catsharks)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 20 November 2024.