Starry smooth-hound

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Starry smooth-hound

Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Subdivision: Selachimorpha
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Triakidae
Genus: Mustelus
Species:
M. asterias
Binomial name
Mustelus asterias
Synonyms[2]

The starry smooth-hound (Mustelus asterias) is a

Atlantic, between latitudes 61 and 16° N
, from the surface to a depth of 200 m (660 ft).

Description

The starry smooth-hound grows to a length of about 140 cm (55 in). It is grey or greyish-brown with a scattering of small white spots on its dorsal (upper) surface and white on its ventral (under) surface. It is a long, lean fish with a somewhat rounded snout and rows of shallowly projecting teeth. The two

caudal fin and the lower lobe is of medium size.[3]

Distribution and habitat

This species of houndshark is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Its range extends from off southern Norway, Scotland, and the North Sea southwards to Algeria, Morocco, and off the Western Sahara. It is found in the whole of the Mediterranean, but not in the Black Sea.[1] It is found on the continental shelf and around islands at depths to at least 200 m (660 ft) and prefers places where the seabed is sand or gravel.[4]

This species of houndshark was found in the

Thames River of London in 2021,[5] and Plymouth National Marine Park in April 2022 [6]

Biology

The starry smooth-hound mostly feeds on

ovoviviparous fish, retaining its eggs in its oviduct, where the young are nourished by the egg yolk and the oviduct's secretions. Seven to 15 young are in a litter, and they are about 30 cm (12 in) long at birth.[3][4]

Status

The

near threatened". In the Mediterranean Sea, it is less common and is targeted for human consumption along with the closely related common smooth-hound (Mustelus mustelus).[1] Numbers in the Mediterranean have dwindled and in this region it might qualify for "Vulnerable" status were it not plentiful elsewhere.[1]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T39357A124405496.en
    . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Bailly, Nicolas (2013). "Mustelus asterias Cloquet, 1819". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2013-08-29.
  3. ^ a b "Starry smoothhound (Mustelus asterias)". Fishes of the NE Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Marine Species Information Portal. Retrieved 2013-08-29.
  4. ^ a b Carpenter, Kent E. "Mustelus asterias Cloquet, 1819". FishBase. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  5. ^ "Venomous sharks found in London's Thames river". CNN. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  6. ^ Simpson, Zhara (2022-04-24). "Incredible shark species spotted in Plymouth". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 2022-04-25.

Further reading

  • Compagno, Dando, & Fowler, Sharks, Collins Gem, HarperCollins, London (2006)
    ISBN 0-00-721986-5
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