The blackgill catshark (Parmaturus melanobranchus) is a deep water catshark known from very few specimens, found on or near the bottom on the continental slope, at 540- off the coasts of China and Japan. Specimens can attain a total length of at least 85cm (33inches), have elongated cat-like eyes, and have two small dorsal fins set far back. They’re oviparous and lay one egg at a time.[1] This shark is a potential bycatch of deep water bottom-trawl fisheries operating within its range, but no specific information is available. In the upper jaw, there are rods of blunt, flat teeth with 3 cusps, likely used for crushing, as well as row of sharper teeth with the mid, central cusp longer and to a point. The bottom teeth are sharp, pointed, jagged and have three cusps, with the middle cusp slightly longer than the surrounding two.[2]
Blackgill catsharks tend to travel and sleep in groups at night and sleep in groups during the day, as they are nocturnal creatures. They typically eat crustaceans and other ocean-floor sea life. [3]