The roughskin catshark (Apristurus ampliceps) is a species of catshark in the family Pentanchidae, the deepwater catsharks. This species is found near Australia and New Zealand.[2][3] Its natural habitat is the open seas.[2] This species belongs to a genus of poorly known deep-water catsharks.
Very little is known of its biology.[5] This species is known to occur in deep water (840 to 1,380 m) off New Zealand, sporadic sites around Tasmania, and a small area of Western Australia.[2] Some concern exists for this species, as its distribution includes some heavily fished areas. Deep-water demersal trawl fisheries are expanding in the region, and assuming its biology is like other deep-water shark species, it may not be sufficiently fecund to withstand the exploitation pressure.
^Roberts, Clive; Stewart, A. L.; Struthers, Carl D.; Barker, Jeremy; Kortet, Salme; Freeborn, Michelle (2015). The fishes of New Zealand. Vol. 2. Wellington, New Zealand: Te Papa Press. p. 79. ISBN9780994104168. OCLC908128805.