Author: Grace, Doosey, Denton, Naylor, Bart & Maisey, 2019
FBname: American pocket shark
Remark: Previously identified as <i>Mollisquama parini</i> Dolganov, 1984.
Comments: This species was collected with a midwater trawl during a cetacean research project to assess predator/prey trophodynamics for sperm whales (<i>Physeter macrocephalus</i>) of the Gulf of Mexico. Trawl fishing depths were from 5 m of surface to a maximum trawl fishing depth of 580 m over 3,038 m bottom depth; with the sea bottom relatively flat abyssal plain without significant bathymetric features. Environmental sampling conducted within 10 nautical miles of the trawl location with surface/maximum trawling depth environmental data; temperature 21.5°C/7.2°C, oxygen saturation 6.6 mg/l/ 4.0 mg/l, and salinity 36.5 psu/34.9 psu. Other fauna were captured including 44 species identified to lowest taxon (3.3 kg total catch weight, 731 specimens); 29 finfish taxa, 15 invertebrate taxa. Collection locations of <i>M. mississippiensis</i> captured above an abyssal plain 3,038 m depth is influenced by the relatively warm Gulf Stream while <i>M. parini</i> captured above an extensive seamount ridge 330 m depth is influenced by the relatively cold sub-Antarctic Humboldt Current (Ref. 121924).