The spotless smooth-hound is a houndshark living in the northwest Pacific.
Spotless Smooth-hound Scientific Classification |
|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Chondrichthyes |
| Order | Carcharhiniformes |
| Family | Triakidae |
| Genus | Mustelus |
| Scientific Name | M. griseus |
Description
Males of this species are 34 inches, while females are longer at 39 inches. While their head is short, they have long, pointed snout and slender body. Its long mouth has a lower lip groove than the upper one, and inside it are molar-like teeth.
These sharks are grey or greyish-brown when looked at from above while much paler when looked at from below.
Where do they live
Map Of The Spotless Smooth-Hound Shark’s Habitat
They live in the western Pacific Ocean, with sightings in China, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Its depth range is from 167 ft to 980 ft.
Behavior
Feeding
Their diet consists of benthic invertebrates and crustaceans.
Reproductive
These sharks are viviparous, giving live birth to litters ranging between 5-16 pups after a gestation period of 10 months. At birth, the pups are 11 inches long.
Sexual maturity is observed in males when they are 24-28 inches long, while females do so when they are 31 inches long.
The maximum lifespan of this shark is nine years.
Interactions with humans
This shark is often caught for human consumption, either with gillnets, longline fishing, or trawls. As a result, the IUCN classifies it as “Endangered” or “EN”.
