Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) >
Squaliformes (Bramble, sleeper and dogfish sharks) >
Squalidae (Dogfish sharks)
Etymology: Squalus: Latin, squalidus = pale, weak (Ref. 45335). More on author: Jordan, Snyder.
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 29 - 600 m (Ref. 58302), usually 48 - 533 m (Ref. 57911). Deep-water; 8°C - 17°C (Ref. 57911); 45°N - 55°S, 97°W - 164°W (Ref. 54897)
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?, range 68 - ? cm
Max length : 89.8 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 55642); common length : 76.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 31367); common length :82 cm TL (female)
Dorsal
spines
(total): 2;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 0;
Anal
spines: 0;
Anal
soft rays: 0. A large dogfish with a long, angular snout and a small mouth slightly more than half the snout length; body without spots; 1st dorsal fin spine over pectoral fins (Ref. 5578). Pearl-grey above, white below; fins with white edges, sides rarely with white spots (Ref. 5578).
Circumglobal in temperate and subtropical waters: Widely distributed in most oceans but possibly consisting of a species complex (Ref. 6871, 31367). Western Indian Ocean: Walters Shoal (MNHN 1991-0406) (Ref. 33390); Eastern Indian Ocean: southern Australia (Ref. 6871); West Pacific: Seamounts in the North Pacific, Japan, Korea, China (and presumably Taiwan and Viet Nam); Southwest Pacific: possibly in New Zealand; Central Pacific: Hawaiian Islands. Southeast Pacific: Desventuradas Is. and Juan Fernández Is. Southwest Atlantic: Uruguay to Argentina (Ref. 58839). Records of Squalus blainvillei or Squalus fernandinus from the western Indian Ocean, New Caledonia and Chile are based in part on this species. Elsewhere, dogfishes very similar to Squalus mitsukurii are not conspecific with Squalus blainvillei.
Found on the continental and insular shelves and upper slopes (Ref. 247, 75154). Perhaps ranging from 4-740 m (Ref. 58302). Feeds on bony fishes including hake, snoek, conger eels and lantern fishes (Ref. 36731), cephalopods, and crustaceans (Ref. 5213). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205), with about 4 to 9 pups in a litter (Ref. 247).
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)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
More information
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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00300 (-0.11936 - 0.12536), b=3.07 (2.98 - 3.15), based on LWR estimates for species & family-BS (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 4.5 ±0.7 se; Based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Fec=4).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): High vulnerability (61 of 100) .