A new species of the deep-water catshark genus Apristurus from New Zealand waters (Chondrichthyes: Scyliorhinidae)

A new deep-water catshark species, Apristurus exsanguis, is described based on twenty-nine specimens collected from the waters around New Zealand. It has strong similarities with Apristurus sp. B (Paulin et al., 1989) from New Zealand, Apristurus sp. A (Last & Stevens, 1994) from Australia and Apristurus japonicus Nakaya, 1975, from Japan, but can be separated from species 'A' and 'B' by colouration, relative dorsal fin sizes and position, and spiral valve count; and from A. japonicus by counts of spiral valves, tooth rows and monospondylus vertebrae.