The quagga catshark, locally known as ‘Puli Sravu’, lacks any commercial value and is often dumped at fish meal fish oil (FMFO) plants. A common bycatch discarded by trawlers, it’s the only species in genus Halaelurus assessed as ‘Data Deficient’ on the IUCN Red List. But according to a latest study conducted by the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos), the species is seriously threatened by intense deep-sea bottom trawling that occurs off the southwest coast of the country. The research was carried out with the aim of making an improved Red List assessment and formulating management plans by bridging the critical knowledge gaps on aspects regarding the life history and exploitation of the species. Study published The study carried out by Chinthamani Abisha, Neelesh Dahanukar, Kutty Ranjeet and Rajeev Raghavan of Kufos and published in Marine and Freshwater Research says if left unmanaged, the species could make it to the threatened category of the Red List. Since there is hardly any data on its biology, ecology, abundance and population status, specimens collected from the landings in three harbours along the Lakshadweep coast of south-western India were examined. The study documented the biology and exploitation of Halaelurus quagga for the first time revealing that a sizeable volume of the catches discarded in trawl fisheries are reproductively active individuals. Samples were taken from landings at the Muttom, Colachel and Sakthikulangara harbours between May and August 2023. All the samples were discards from deep-sea shrimp trawlers and demersal fish trawlers operating in the Lakshadweep Sea. While prior research has documented the species in depths ranging from 54 to 280 m, the new study indicates that it may potentially exist and inadvertently captured at levels lower than 300 m. Though there were some limitations, such as the limited geographic area and depth range of sampling, the use of fishing gear, and the lack of annual data, the scientists say that the study has produced the first information on exploited size classes, length-weight relationship, sex ratio, reproduction, and diet of a catshark, which has been largely unknown for more than a century since its discovery. Bridging gap “Additionally, since its listing as a ‘Data Deficient’ species on the IUCN Red List in 2017, there have been no research efforts to bridge key knowledge gaps on the biology, population or ecology of this species. Because these data are essential to inform and implement conservation and management decisions, the present study has contributed to the sustainable management and conservation of H. quagga, along the intensively fished areas of the Lakshadweep Sea,” says the study.