The spongehead catshark (Apristurus spongiceps) is a rare species of deep-sea catshark, family Scyliorhinidae. This species was only known from two specimens taken in the Pacific Ocean: an adult from near Bird Island, Hawaii, and a juvenile from the Banda Sea off Sulawesi. They are found on or near the bottoms of insular continental slopes, at depths of 570 to 1,480 meters. In 2002, the spongehead catshark was seen alive in its natural habitat for the first time, from the submersible Pisces IV at a depth of about a kilometer, on the Northampton Seamount off the northwestern Hawaiian Islands.Parrish, F. (Sep. 23, 2002). "Summary Log: Cruising Steeply through the Deep". NOAA Ocean Explorer. Retrieved on December 20, 2008.
