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

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Squaliformes (Bramble, sleeper and dogfish sharks) > Dalatiidae (Sleeper sharks)
Etymology: Isistius: Greek, isos = equal + Greek, istios = sail (Ref. 45335).

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; pelagic-neritic; depth range 60 - 200 m (Ref. 52580). Subtropical; 44°N - 33°S (Ref. 52580)

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 42.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 247)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0. The largetooth cookiecutter shark Isistius plutodus has no collar marking around throat, a small asymmetrical caudal fin with a short ventral lobe less than half the length of dorsal caudal margin, bigger mouth and gigantic lower teeth (proportionately the largest in any living shark) in 19 rows (upper teeth = 29 rows). Eyes set well forward on head, with extensive anterior binocular field. Pectoral fins rounded, pelvic fins smaller than dorsal fins. As with the other member of the genus Isistius, it has a characteristic small cigar-shaped body with two small close-set spineless dorsal fins far posterior on back, no anal fin, huge, triangular-cusped teeth without blades, short, bulbous snout and a unique suctorial lips (Ref. 247).

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

Atlantic: off Alabama, USA and the Gulf of Mexico; including Brazil and West Sahara and off Azores. Northwest Pacific: off Okinawa, Japan and Australia (NSW). A very rare species (Ref. 52580).

A very rare species known only from few localities in epipelagic waters. Apparently feeds on small epibenthic and epipelagic invertebrates and fish. Its powerful jaws, big mouth and enormous lower teeth enable it to bite off large portion of its prey in one sweeping motion. A facultative ectoparasite evidenced by its suctorial lips and feeding apparatus. It has extremely short snout and anteriorly positioned eyes which allows for binocular vision (Ref. 247). Caught by mid-water trawl (Ref. 55584). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205). Has large oily liver which helps it to become neutrally buoyant (`hepatic float').

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Compagno, Leonard J.V. | 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)

Least Concern (LC)

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest

FAO(Publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805): PD₅₀ = 0.6260 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00365 (-0.20942 - 0.21673), b=3.12 (3.00 - 3.24), based on LWR estimates for this family-BS (Ref. 93245).

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278): 4.3 ±0.6 se; Based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Resilience (Ref. 69278): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100).

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (22 of 100) .

Price category (Ref. 80766): Unknown.

Isistius plutodus Garrick & Springer, 1964