blotched catshark
Scyliorhinus meadi Springer, 1966
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Scyliorhinus meadi, the blotched catshark, is a little-known species of catshark, and part of the family Scyliorhinidae, found in the western central Atlantic Ocean. It inhabits banks of deep-sea coral at depths of 329–548 m (1,079–1,798 ft), feeding on cephalopods, shrimp, and bony fishes. This species can be identified by its wide body and head, and the dark saddle-like markings on its back. It also has small spots that fluoresce yellow under a blue light. Adult blotched catsharks have not been observed; the largest immature specimen is 49 cm (19 in) long. Like other catsharks, it is believed to be oviparous. This species is not dangerous to humans and has no commercial significance.
Wikipedia contributors, Scyliorhinus meadi; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:38:41.594488+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Scyliorhinus meadi Springer, 1966
- Name authority
- Springer, 1966
- Common name
- blotched catshark
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Elasmobranchii
- Order
- Carcharhiniformes
- Family
- Scyliorhinidae
- Genus
- Scyliorhinus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumChondrichthyes
- classElasmobranchii
- subclassNeoselachii
- infraclassSelachii
- superorderGaleomorphi
- orderCarcharhiniformes
- familyScyliorhinidae Gill, 1862
- genusScyliorhinus Blainville, 1816
- speciesScyliorhinus meadi Springer, 1966
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Scyliorhinus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Scyliorhinus cabofriensis Soares, Gomes & Carvalho, 2016 | ScyliorhinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Scyliorhinus comoroensis Compagno, 1988 | ScyliorhinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Scyliorhinus garmani (Fowler, 1934) | ScyliorhinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Scyliorhinus hesperius Springer, 1966 | ScyliorhinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| greater spotted dogfishScyliorhinus stellaris (Linnaeus, 1758) | ScyliorhinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Scyliorhinus torazame (Tanaka, 1908) | ScyliorhinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Scyliorhinus boa Goode & Bean, 1896 | ScyliorhinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| dogfishScyliorhinus canicula (Linnaeus, 1758) | ScyliorhinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Scyliorhinus capensis (Müller & Henle, 1838) | ScyliorhinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Scyliorhinus cervigoni Maurin & Bonnet, 1970 | ScyliorhinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| chain catsharkScyliorhinus retifer (Garman, 1881) | ScyliorhinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Scyliorhinus torrei Howell Rivero, 1936 | ScyliorhinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Scyliorhinus retifer meadi Springer, 1966 Springer, 1966 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Springer, S. (1966). A review of western Atlantic cat sharks, Scyliorhinidae, with descriptions of a new genus and five new species. United States Fish and Wildlife Service Fishery Bulletin, v. 65 (no. 3) (for 1965): 581–624. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:6XZX8. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.