| Family: |
Dalatiidae (Sleeper sharks) |
| Max. size: |
14.2 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
pelagic; marine |
| Distribution: |
Western Central Atlantic: Gulf of Mexico. |
| Diagnosis: |
This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: a putative pit organ centrally placed just posterior to the lower jaw margin; photophores are irregularly distributed along many areas of the body; with a series of 16 ventral-abdominal photophore aggregations; upper teeth no labial-surface ridge (vs. present in M. parini); lower teeth with a weak or absent basal sulcus (vs. deep sulcus in M. parini) (Ref. 121924). |
| Biology: |
This species was collected with a midwater trawl during a cetacean research project to assess predator/prey trophodynamics for sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) of the Gulf of Mexico. Trawl fishing depths were from 5 m of surface to a maximum trawl fishing depth of 580 m over 3,038 m bottom depth; with the sea bottom relatively flat abyssal plain without significant bathymetric features. Environmental sampling conducted within 10 nautical miles of the trawl location with surface/maximum trawling depth environmental data; temperature 21.5°C/7.2°C, oxygen saturation 6.6 mg/l/ 4.0 mg/l, and salinity 36.5 psu/34.9 psu. Other fauna were captured including 44 species identified to lowest taxon (3.3 kg total catch weight, 731 specimens); 29 finfish taxa, 15 invertebrate taxa. Collection locations of M. mississippiensis captured above an abyssal plain 3,038 m depth is influenced by the relatively warm Gulf Stream while M. parini captured above an extensive seamount ridge 330 m depth is influenced by the relatively cold sub-Antarctic Humboldt Current (Ref. 121924). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 21 June 2019 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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