found deeper. There also appears to be spatial segregation by sex, though the patterns are not well-defined. Biology and ecology The roughtail catshark preys mostly on shrimp, and may gather in sizable schools. Once erroneously reported to be aplacental viviparous, more recent research has confirmed that this species is actually oviparous. Adult females have a single functional ovary, on the right, and two functional oviducts. A single egg matures within each oviduct at a time. The eggs are enclosed within tough, flask-shaped capsules around long, across the top, and across the bottom. The rounded upper corners of the capsule bear coiled tendrils. The spawning grounds of this shark may be located in very rough terrain. Both sexes mature sexually at approximately long. Human interactions Harmless and of no commercial value, the roughtail catshark is too small to be caught on most types of fishing gear but is taken incidentally in shrimp trawls. Shark expert Stewart Springer reported in 1966 that it was frequently caught in shrimp trawls along the entire coast of Florida. The impact of trawl fisheries on this species in United States waters is unknown; its depth and spawning habitat preferences may offer a degree of protection from fishing pressure. Similarly, shrimp trawling activity off Central America does not extend into the depths occupied by this species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has therefore assessed the roughtail catshark as of Least Concern. References roughtail catshark Fauna of the Southeastern United States Fish of the Caribbean Fish of the Dominican Republic Taxa named by John Treadwell Nichols roughtail catshark