Species: Mollisquama mississippiensis, American Pocket Shark, American Pocketshark

Mollisquama mississippiensis Grace, Doosey, Denton, Naylor, Bart & Maisey, 2019

American Pocket Shark

Body cylindrical, compressed at rear, tapering to a slender tail base; head large, wide, deeper than body; snout short, bulbous, blunt, conical; eyes elliptical, length 3X height; no nictitating eyelids; large spiracle behind eye; mouth small, opens under snout, lips thick, fringed; teeth in upper and lower jaws different, upper - narrow, needle-like, small, lower - compressed, broader, triangular, larger than upper, with 1 point; 5 medium sized gill slits, last over pectoral base; a large pocket gland opens in a conspicuous slit just above pectoral base; both dorsal fins small, low, rounded, narrow, 1st ~equal to 2nd but 2nd with longer base, without spines; origin of 1st dorsal well behind pectoral, base ends over pelvic origin; origin of second near pelvic rear base; pectorals small, with broadly rounded tips; pelvic fins small, triangular; no anal fin; no pits on upper tail base; keel on tail base present or absent; tail fin asymmetrical, lower lobe 60% length of top lobe, both lobes broad & rounded, a subterminal notch under tip of top lobe; all fins with short filaments along their rear edges.

Uniform dark brown; exit of pocket-gland black; hairs on fin edges pale.

Reaches ~40 cm

Mesopelagic

Depth range 330 - 580 m.

Distribution: northern Gulf of Mexico