Description: A medium-sized deepwater shark, with a short snout and stocky body. Small spines on both dorsal fins. No anal fin. Very large lateral trunk denticles. Pectoral fins moderately large, with broadly rounded free rear tips. Uniformly brown in colour.
Global Distribution: Western and Eastern Atlantic; also western Mediterranean. Western Pacific, and Western Indian Ocean. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Size at birth 27-31 cm. Maximum length 120 cm (total length); common length 92.0 cm (TL).
Reproduction: Ovoviviparous, with 13 to 29 young per litter, born at 27-31 cm.
Maturity: range 100 - ? cm.
Behavioural ecology:
Population structure & migrations:
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range: FishBase: 150 - 3700 m, usually 400 - 2000 m.
Habitat: Bathydemersal. Found on continental slopes and abyssal plains.
Feeding habits: Feeds mainly on fish (including sharks) and cephalopods, also gastropods and cetacean meat.
Trophic level: FishBase: 4.4
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Minor commercial species. By-catch of the longline black scabbardfish fishery in Madeira.
Conservation status: Global: Near threatened.
Northeast Atlantic: Endangered.
Europe: Endangered.
Nutritional information & food safety:
Proximate composition per 100 g:
energy value 97.4 kcal (4.9% DRV)
protein 20.8 g (41.6% DRV)
fat 0.95 g (1.4% DRV)
of which saturates 0.145 g (0.7% DRV)
omega-3 (EPA+DHA): 0.343 g (recommended: 0.250 - 2.0 g daily)
REFERENCES
Direcção Regional de Pescas, Madeira.
Ebert D.A., Stehmann M.F.W. (2013). Sharks, batoids, and chimaeras of the North Atlantic. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes, No. 7. FAO, Rome, 523 pp.
FAO-WHO (2010). Fat and fatty acids in human nurition. Report of an expert consultation, 10-14 November 2008, Geneva. FAO Food and Nutrition Paper 91. Rome, Italy, 180 pp.
Gibson C., Valenti S.V., Fordham S.V., Fowler S.L. (2008). The Conservation of Northeast Atlantic Chondrichthyans: Repost of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group Northeast Atlantic Red List Workshop. IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Groups, NatureBureau, Newbury, UK, 76 pp.
IUCN (2014). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. www.iucnredlist.org
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Økland H.M.W., Stoknes I.S., Remme J.F., Kjerstad M., Synnes M. (2005). Proximate composition, fatty acid and lipid class composition of the muscle from deep-sea teleosts and elasmobranchs. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B, 140: 437-443.
