Pseudocarcharias kamoharai  (Matsubara, 1936)

Crocodile shark
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Image of Pseudocarcharias kamoharai (Crocodile shark)
Pseudocarcharias kamoharai
Picture by Randall, J.E.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Lamniformes (Mackerel sharks) > Pseudocarchariidae (Crocodile sharks)
Etymology: Pseudocarcharias: Greek, pseudes = false + Greek, karcharos = sharpen (Ref. 45335).

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 590 m (Ref. 6871), usually 0 - 200 m (Ref. 54740).   Subtropical; 40°N - 40°S, 180°W - 180°E

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?, range 89 - ? cm
Max length : 110 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 43278); 110.0 cm TL (female); common length : 100.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 13569)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0. A medium-sized spindle-shaped shark with very large eyes lacking a nictitating membrane, long gill slits extending onto dorsal surface of head, lanceolate teeth, weak keel and precaudal pits on caudal peduncle (Ref. 6871, 43278). Small and low dorsal fins, with second dorsal fin less than half the size of the first but larger than the anal fin (Ref. 6871). Pectoral fin broad and rounded (Ref. 6871). Light or dark grey above, paler below, fins white-edged, sometimes with small white spots on body and a white blotch between mouth and gill slits (Ref. 13569).

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions | Faunafri

Tropical and subtropical waters of all oceans.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

An oceanic species usually found offshore and far from land but sometimes occurring inshore (Ref. 9993, 43278, 58302). Epi- and mesopelagic, with occasional near-bottom occurrences (Ref. 43278, 58302). Although considered not dangerous to people, its powerful jaws, jaw muscles and teeth invite respect. Flesh not appreciated and therefore the catch is usually discarded (Ref. 247); utilized for its large, squalene-rich liver (Ref. 9993). Feeds on small pelagic bony fishes, squids and shrimps (Ref. 5578). Ovoviviparous, embryos feeding on yolk sac and other ova produced by the mother (Ref. 50449). With 4 young in a litter, born at 40 to 43 cm TL (Ref. 12288). Maximum length for female given in Romanove et.al 1994 (Ref. 44781). Common bycatch of tuna longline fisheries, and occasionally tuna gillnet fisheries (Ref.58048).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Compagno, L.J.V., 1984. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 1 - Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/1):1-249. Rome: FAO.

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)

  Near Threatened (NT) 

Threat to humans

  Harmless




Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial
FAO(fisheries: production, species profile; publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | DiscoverLife | Faunafri | Fishtrace | GenBank(genome, nucleotide) | GOBASE | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | iSpecies | National databases | PubMed | Scirus | SeaLifeBase | Tree of Life | uBio | Wikipedia(Go, Search) | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates of some properties based on empirical models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805):  PD50 = 1.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (-0.16711 - 0.17489), b=3.12 (3.03 - 3.21), based on all LWR estimates for this BS (Ref. 93245).
Trophic Level (Ref. 69278):  4.2   ±0.60 se; Based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 69278):  Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Fec=4).
Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate to high vulnerability (54 of 100) .
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Unknown.