Springer's sawtail catshark (Galeus springeri) is a little-known species of catshark, belonging to the family Scyliorhinidae, found in waters deep off the islands of the Antilles, from Cuba to the Leewards. A small, slim-bodied species reaching a length of , the Springer's sawtail catshark can be identified by its color pattern of horizontal dark stripes in front of the first dorsal fin, and dark dorsal saddles behind. It is additionally characterized by the presence of saw-toothed crests, made of enlarged dermal denticles along both the dorsal and the ventral edges of the caudal fin. The Springer's sawtail catshark is oviparous. Taxonomy The Springer's sawtail catshark was originally regarded as the striped color morph of the Antilles catshark (G. antillensis, formerly G. arae antillensis). The first known specimen had resided in the National Museum of Natural History for over 20 years, until an artifact of preservation revealed the distinctive ventral dermal denticle crest on the caudal fin. The species was described in a 1998 issue of the scientific journal Copeia by Hera Konstantinou and Joseph Cozzi, who named it after leading shark taxonomist Stewart Springer. The type specimen is a long immature male collected on December 8, 1969 near the Leeward Islands. This shark belongs to the G. arae species complex, which also includes G. antillensis, G. arae, G. cadenati, and G. mincaronei. Distribution and habitat The range of the Springer's sawtail catshark is limited and overlaps that of the similar Antilles catshark; it occurs off Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Leeward Islands, and probably the U.S. Virgin Islands. The full extent of its distribution is uncertain due to confusion with related species. Recorded from depths of , this species is found on or near the bottom over upper continental and insular slopes. Description The largest known specimen of the Springer's sawtail catshark measured long. It has a slender body and a somewhat flattened head with a long, pointed snout. The eyes are horizontally oval and equipped with rudimentary nictitating membranes (protective third eyelids); they are followed by tiny spiracles and lack prominent ridges underneath. The nostrils are divided by triangular flaps of skin on their anterior rims. The large mouth forms a wide arch, and bears moderately long furrows at the corners. The teeth are small and have a narrow central cusp flanked by multiple cusplets; they are similar in both jaws, and between sexes. There are five pairs