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| Mustelus canis AquaMaps Data sources: GBIF OBIS |
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Mustelus canis
Picture by Flescher, D.
Pictures | Sounds | Google image
Picture by Flescher, D.
Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks) > Triakidae (Houndsharks) > Triakinae
Etymology: Mustelus: Latin for weasel, an ancient name for sharks, possibly referring to the pointed snouts, swift movements and/or rapacious feeding behavior of smaller predatory sharks [strictly not tautonymous with Squalus mustelus Linnaeus 1758 since type was designated by the ICZN] (See ETYFish); canis: Latin for dog (sharks were known as “sea dogs” and “dog-fishe” among mariners until the late 16th century, because of their ferocious pack-like feeding behavior) (See ETYFish).
More on author: Mitchill.
Etymology: Mustelus: Latin for weasel, an ancient name for sharks, possibly referring to the pointed snouts, swift movements and/or rapacious feeding behavior of smaller predatory sharks [strictly not tautonymous with Squalus mustelus Linnaeus 1758 since type was designated by the ICZN] (See ETYFish); canis: Latin for dog (sharks were known as “sea dogs” and “dog-fishe” among mariners until the late 16th century, because of their ferocious pack-like feeding behavior) (See ETYFish).
More on author: Mitchill.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology
Marine; brackish; demersal; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 800 m (Ref. 55584), usually 18 - 200 m (Ref. 55309). Subtropical; 46°N - 44°S, 98°W - 31°W
Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri
Western Atlantic: Massachusetts to Florida (USA), northern and western Gulf of Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, Jamaica, Barbados, Bermuda, Bahamas; southern Brazil to northern Argentina; also western Gulf of Mexico and Antilles (Ref. 26938). Northwest Atlantic: Canada (Ref. 5951). Allopatric with Mustelus mustelus and sympatric with Mustelus norrisi. One of the two new allopatric species of canis- norrisi-like smooth-hounds in this region is often confused with this species (Ref. 244). The subspecies Mustelus canis insularis, occurring at several Caribbean islands, was identified by Heemstra (Ref. 27770).
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 99.8, range 95 - 100 cm
Max length : 150 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 244); common length : 100.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 6077); max. published weight: 12.2 kg (Ref. 40637)
Max length : 150 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 244); common length : 100.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 6077); max. published weight: 12.2 kg (Ref. 40637)
Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
A small, slim shark. Well-serrated dorsal fins, second nearly as large as first (Ref. 26938).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.
Found on continental and insular shelves and upper slopes, ranging from shallow inshore waters and the intertidal to 200 m, occasionally down to 579 m (Ref. 244). Occasionally found in freshwater. It is doubtful that this species can live in fresh water for an extended period of time (Ref. 244). Active swimmer and bottom feeder (Ref. 27549). Swims in packs or schools (Ref. 27549). Feeds on large crustaceans, mainly crabs, but also heavily on lobsters (Homarus) (Ref. 244). Probably non-territorial. Off the Atlantic coast of the USA, this species is migratory (Ref. 244). Viviparous (with a yolk-sac placenta), with 4 to 20 young in a litter. Longevity given as 7 years (Ref. 775) but appears too low. Utilized fresh, dried-salted, and smoked (Ref. 9987).
Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Viviparous (Ref. 26281, 35307, 50449), with a yolk-sac placenta; with 4 to 20 young per litter. 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. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Near Threatened (NT) (A2bd); Date assessed: 21 June 2019
CITES
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
FAO - Fisheries: landings; Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us
More information
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Tools
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Internet sources
AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Fisheries: landings; Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | GoMexSI (interaction data) | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | National databases | OceanAdapt | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 7.8 - 27.5, mean 22.4 °C (based on 1206 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00200 (0.00169 - 0.00236), b=3.12 (3.07 - 3.17), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.6 ±0.2 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.04-0.43; tm=2-5; tmax=7; Fec= 4-20).
Prior r = 0.16, 95% CL = 0.11 - 0.24, Based on 1 full stock assessment.
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (53 of 100).
Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649): High vulnerability (62 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref. 124155): Calcium = 11.3 [3.4, 64.4] mg/100g; Iron = 0.387 [0.113, 1.502] mg/100g; Protein = 21.5 [19.2, 23.9] %; Omega3 = 0.145 [0.056, 0.365] g/100g; Selenium = 52.1 [14.6, 197.9] μg/100g; VitaminA = 7.62 [2.46, 23.67] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.793 [0.339, 1.664] mg/100g (wet weight);