Somniosus pacificus Bigelow & Schroeder, 1944

Pacific sleeper shark

Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Classification	Elasmobranchii \| Squaliformes \| Somniosidae
Synonyms	Somniosus antarcticus, ... more
Common names	Laimargue dormeur, Tollo negro dormilón, Southern sleeper shark, ... more

You can sponsor this page

Upload your photos and videos
| All pictures | Google image |

Image of Somniosus pacificus (Pacific sleeper shark)

Picture by Gadig, O.B.F.

Add your observation in Fish Watcher

This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.

AquaMaps Data sources: GBIF OBIS

Main reference

Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. (Ref. 247)
Other references | Biblio | Coordinator | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 440 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 247); 430 cm TL (female)

Environment

Benthopelagic; marine; depth range 0 - 2000 m (Ref. 26346)

Climate / Range

Temperate; 70°N - 47°S

North Pacific: Japan and along the Siberian coast to the Bering Sea, southern California (USA), and Baja California, Mexico. Sporadic records from the South Pacific (assignment of large southern hemisphere Somniosus to the North Pacific Somniosus pacificus is tentative) (Ref. 31367). In Australasian waters, it occurs from the seamounts south of Tasmania, the Challenger Plateau (off eastern New Zealand) and possibly from Macquarie Island (Ref. 6871). Southwest Atlantic: off Uruguay (Ref. 35864), Brazil (Ref. 53443) and Argentina (Ref. 58839).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Uniformly greyish-pink with bluish black fins; live specimens probably with white spots on dorsal surface (Ref. 6871). Short rounded snout, heavily cylindrical body and small precaudal fins, equal-sized dorsal fins, asymmetrical caudal fin with a well-developed ventral lobe (Ref. 6871), first dorsal fin on back closer to pelvic fins than pectoral fins, interdorsal space less than distance from snout tip to first gill openings, no short keels on base of caudal fin, upper teeth lanceolate, lower teeth with short, low, strongly oblique cusps and high narrow roots (Ref. 247).

Found on continental shelves and slopes (Ref. 247). At high latitudes, it occurs in littoral and even intertidal areas; in lower latitudes it may never come to the surface and ranges down to at least 2,000 m (Ref. 247). Feeds on bottom animals such as fishes, octopi, squids, crabs and tritons; also harbor seals and carrion (Ref. 247). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205), with 300 pups in a litter (Ref. 247), length at birth about 42 cm or less (Ref. 26346). The flesh contains a type of toxin which, when eaten, produces symptoms of drunkenness (Ref. 583). Possibly reaches lengths greater than 700 cm (Ref. 247).


IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 57073)	Threat to humans
Data deficient (DD)	Harmless (Ref. 6871)

Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest


More information
Countries FAO areas Ecosystems Occurrences Introductions Ecology Diet Food items Food consumption Ration	Common names Synonyms Metabolism Predators Ecotoxicology Reproduction Maturity Spawning Eggs Egg development	Age/Size Growth Length-weight Length-length Length-frequencies Morphometrics Morphology Larvae Larval dynamics Recruitment	Other references Biblio Aquaculture Aquaculture profile Strains Genetics Allele frequencies Heritability Diseases Processing	Collaborators Pictures Stamps Sounds Ciguatera Speed Swim. type Gill area Otoliths Brains Vision

Tools
Biogeographic modelling \| E-book \| Field guide \| Identification keys \| Length-frequency wizard \| Life-history tool \| Point map

Special reports
Check for Aquarium maintenance \| Check for Species Fact Sheets \| Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

Download XML
Summary page \| Point data \| Common names \| Photos

Internet sources

Estimation of some characteristics with mathematical models

Resilience (Ref. 69278)

Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec=300; assuming tm<=10)


Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)	Price category (Ref. 80766)
Very high vulnerability (87 of 100)	Not marketed/unknown

Entered by Carpenter, Kent E.

Modified by Bailly, Nicolas

Back to Search

Fish Forum

Comments & Corrections

Sign our Guest Book

FishBase mirror site : US - CGNET

Page last modified by : elaxamana, 15 July 2009

Custom Search