Scientific Name
Apristurus bucephalus
Common Name
Bighead catshark
Biology
This moderately-large species has the following characters: labial furrows of upper and lower subequal in length; relatively short preorbital snout; very robust head, its width (at mouth corners) 13.9% TL; large mouth, its width 11.1% TL; large orbit, its length 3.7% TL; relatively long length of prepectoral and prepelvic; first dorsal fin is slightly smaller than second one, its origin well forward of pelvic fin insertion; tall anal fin, short based, triangular in shape; widely spaced dermal denticles, moderately large, deciduous, with long medial cusps; species size to at least 67.5 cm TL; uniformly medium yellowish brown body and fins ; about 66 teeth rows in upper jaw, about 55 rows in lower jaw; adult female teeth with 5 cusps, 1 very long medial cusp, 2 much shorter inner lateral cusps, 2 much shorter outer lateral cusps situated anteriorly to inner lateral cusps; 35 monospondylous vertebrae; 26 diplospondylous precaudal vertebrae; about 108 total vertebrae (Ref. 76944).