shark is plain brown, lightening slightly on the underside; the interior of the mouth is dark. Biology and ecology The diet of the mouse catshark consists primarily of shrimp such as Pasiphaea multidentata and Sergestes robustus, other crustaceans such as Dorhynchus thomsoni, bony fishes such as Micromesistius poutassou, and cephalopods. Most prey organisms are captured on or close to the sea floor. Reproduction is oviparous; the female has two oviducts, with one egg maturing inside each at a time. The egg capsules are golden yellow and vase-shaped, measuring long and across. The top of the capsule is squared off, while the bottom comes to a short projection. The capsule surface is thickly covered by fibers, giving it a hairy appearance. The young are estimated to hatch at a length of approximately . Human interactions The mouse catshark is frequently caught incidentally by commercial trawl fisheries operating in deep water off Europe and western Africa. However, it may be small enough to escape most nets, and there are likely parts of its wide range that see little fishing activity. Because there are no substantial threats to its population, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed this species as of Least Concern. References mouse catshark Fish of Iceland Fauna of the Faroe Islands mouse catshark mouse catshark