Species: Apristurus brunneus

Brown Cat Shark
Species

    Articles:

    Puget Sound researchers uncover shark secrets, but new questions arise

    Recent discoveries of two new shark species in Puget Sound have sparked public interest and may encourage greater conservation efforts. In this seven-part series, Christopher Dunagan provides an overview of sharks in Puget Sound and some of the recent work among scientists to protect these often misunderstood creatures.

    Close-up of a shark partially submerged in water, showcasing its dorsal fin and textured, spotted skin.
    More sharks of Puget Sound

    While several shark species are observed more frequently off the coast of Washington than in Puget Sound, some are seen on rare occasions in the inland waterways. Detailed information on these sharks is limited, but the same thing might have been said for sixgills, sevengills and soupfin sharks until recent discoveries opened the door to new research. Part five of our series on Puget Sound's sharks outlines some of our region's lesser known shark species. The following information comes from various sources, including fishing and scuba diving reports, scientific studies and the book “Fishes of the Salish Sea” by Theodore Pietsch and James Orr.

    Collage with images of five species of sharks.
    Kingdom
    Animalia
    Phylum
    Craniata
    Class

    Chondrichthyes

    Order

    Carcharhiniformes

    Family

    Scyliorhinidae

    Genus

    Apristurus

    Classification
    Informal Taxonomy
    Animals, Vertebrates - Fishes - Sharks, Skates, and Rays
    Formal Taxonomy
    Animalia - Craniata - Chondrichthyes - Carcharhiniformes - Scyliorhinidae - Apristurus
    Habitat Type Description
    Marine
    Migration
    false - false - false
    Non-migrant
    false
    Locally Migrant
    false
    NatureServe Global Status Rank
    GNR
    Other Status

    DD - Data Deficient - 2007-04-22

    Conservation Status Map
    <img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.BC=SNR" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
    ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102711