Description

Vertebrae: 132 - 139. Diagnosis: A small five-gilled sawshark distinguished from its congeners by having the following characteristics: the presence of two rows of enlarged pre-barbel pits on the rostral ventral surface; rostral barbels closer to mouth than snout tip; base of large rostral teeth with ridges; eyes very large, oval-shaped, emerald green in life; first dorsal fin broadly triangular, with rear tip extending behind pelvic fin midbases; lateral trunk denticles imbricated; colouration in life brownish gray laterally, becoming lighter ventrally; fin margins lighter along posterior edges; dorsal rostrum surface with two distinct longitudinal dark stripes; lateral rostral teeth dark-edged (Ref. 87357).

Common Names

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Elasmobranchii

Order: Pristiophoriformes

Family: Pristiophoridae

Genus: Pristiophorus

Species: Pristiophorus nancyae Ebert & Cailliet, 2011

Climate Zone

Biology

This species is a poorly known inhabitant of the upper continental slope in tropical waters found at depths of 286-500 m (Ref. 87357). Stomach contents include an unidentified organic material, partially digested shrimplike crustaceans, and small decapod shrimps; no fish or cephalopod remains were found (Ref. 87357). Larger individuals had small puncture marks and elongated parallel cuts on their backs and tails suggestive of combat injuries from the rostra of other sawsharks (Ref. 87357). Unknown litter size; it may be caught and discarded as bycatch by offshore shrimp trawlers and other deepwater fisheries operations off Mozambique (Ref. 87357).

Habitat

oceanic

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Threat to Humans

Harmless