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); higmani: In honor of American fisheries biologist James B. Higman (1922-2009), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for his “initial interest in the species and his care in the preparation of excellent notes on its natural history” while serving as an observer on the vessel from which it was collected. (See ETYFish).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range 1 - 900 m (Ref. 55584). Deep-water; 11°N - 36°S

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

Western Atlantic: northern coast of Venezuela southward to Brazil.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ?, range 48 - ? cm
Max length : 77.4 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 126011); common length : 55.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5217); max. published weight: 1.6 kg (Ref. 126011)

Found on the continental shelf on muddy, sandy and calcareous bottoms. Also occurs in shallow brackish water. Feeds mainly on crustaceans and occasionally on bony fishes, squids, and coelenterates. Viviparous (with yolk-sac placenta), with 1 to 7 young per litter. Catches consisting of mainly adults of one sex suggest at least partial sexual segregation. Utilized for human consumption.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Viviparous, with a yolk-sac placenta (Ref. 244).

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)

Endangered (EN) (A2d); Date assessed: 21 June 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial

FAO - Publication: search | FIRMS - Stock assessments | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predators

Ecology
Ecology

Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances

Life cycle
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Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
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Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larvae
Larval dynamics

Distribution
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FAO areas
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Introductions
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Anatomy
Gill areas
Brains
Otoliths

Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Fish sounds
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)

Genetics
Genetics
Electrophoreses
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Human related
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Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.

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Taxonomy
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References
References

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 9.6 - 24.1, mean 15.4 °C (based on 49 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00155 (0.00102 - 0.00235), b=3.15 (3.03 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.6 ±0.3 se; based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Fec=1).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (51 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Medium.

Mustelus higmani Springer & Lowe, 1963