New deepwater catshark species from Galapagos
Published on 05. March 2012
Description of a new species of deepwater catshark, Bythaelurus giddingsi sp. nov., from the Galápagos Islands (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae)
John E. McCosker, Douglas J. Long & Carole C. Baldwin
ABSTRACT:
We describe Bythaelurus giddingsi sp. nov. based on 7 specimens collected using the submersible Johnson Sea-Link from deepwater (428–562 m depth) areas of the Galápagos Islands. It is presumed to be endemic to the archipelago. The new species differs from its congeners in its coloration, the length of its anal-fin base, and in other morphological characters. The disjunct distribution of species of the widely-distributed Indo-Pacific genus Bythaelurus is discussed.
Zootaxa 3221: 48–59 (2012)