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

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks) > Triakidae (Houndsharks) > Triakinae
Etymology: Mustelus: Latin, mustela, -ae = weasel (Ref. 45335).

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; demersal; depth range 5 - 624 m (Ref. 56504), usually 5 - 50 m (Ref. 244). Temperate, preferred 26°C (Ref. 107945); 58°N - 34°S, 19°W - 36°E

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

Eastern Atlantic: UK to the Mediterranean, Morocco and Canary Islands; possibly Azores, Madeira, Angola to South Africa; including Indian Ocean coast. Often referred to as Mustelus canis which is restricted to the western Atlantic.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ?, range 80 - ? cm
Max length : 200 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 27000); common length : 100.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26999); max. reported age: 24 years (Ref. 30745)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0. A large, plain or black-spotted smoothhound (Ref. 5578). Uniformly grey or greyish-brown above, white below (Ref. 5578).

Found on the continental shelves and uppermost slopes, from the intertidal region to at least 350 m depth (Ref. 244). Collected to depth of 624 m in the eastern Ionian Sea (Ref. 56504). Sometimes in midwater but prefers to swim near the bottom (Ref. 244). Feeds mainly on crustaceans, but also cephalopods and bony fishes (Ref. 244). Viviparous, with a yolk-sac placenta (Ref. 244). Taken by shore and ski-boat anglers (Ref. 5578). Utilized for human consumption, oil, and fishmeal (Ref. 244). Sexual maturity is reached at a length of 70-80 cm (Ref. 35388).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Viviparous, with a yolk-sac placenta; 4 to 17 (Ref. 39938) young in a litter. Size at birth about 39 cm. Distinct pairing with embrace (Ref. 205).

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 2 - Carcharhiniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/2):251-655. Rome: FAO. (Ref. 244)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Vulnerable (VU) (A2bd+3bd+4bd)

CITES (Ref. 94142)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes

FAO(fisheries: production; publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

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Internet sources

Mustelus mustelus (Linnaeus, 1758)