
Encyclopedia of Life · EOL (see source)
Proscylliidae
Sign in to saveThe finback catsharks are a small family, the Proscylliidae, of ground sharks. They can be found in warm seas worldwide and are often the most numerous and common shark in tropical regions. They are generally less than 1 m in length, and are slow-moving predators that feed on bony fish and small invertebrates. Although some bear live young, the majority lay eggs with almost fully developed young; these egg cases, known as "mermaid's purses", are unique in appearance to each species.
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Encyclopedic overview
9 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy
- Genus ''[[Proscyllium]]'' <small>[[Franz Martin Hilgendorf|Hilgendorf]] 1904</small>
- Genus ''[[Eridacnis]]'' <small>[[Hugh McCormick Smith|H. M. Smith]], 1913</small>
- Genus ''[[Ctenacis]]'' <small>[[Leonard Compagno|Compagno]], 1973</small>
- Distribution
- Lifecycle
- Reproduction
- Human interactions
- References
The finback catsharks are a small family, the Proscylliidae, of ground sharks. They can be found in warm seas worldwide and are often the most numerous and common shark in tropical regions. They are generally less than 1 m in length, and are slow-moving predators that feed on bony fish and small invertebrates. Although some bear live young, the majority lay eggs with almost fully developed young; these egg cases, known as "mermaid's purses", are unique in appearance to each species.
== Taxonomy ==
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Proscylliidae” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.