South Africa country information

Common names: Sopvinhaai, Soupfin shark, Vaalhaai
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: minor commercial | Ref: van der Elst, R.P. and F. Adkin (eds.), 1991
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: no regulations | Ref: van der Elst, R., 1993
Uses: gamefish: yes;
Comments: Ranges from the west coast to East London. Common along the Cape coast. Status of stock indeterminate; most abundant in the southwest coast; an important component of Gansbaai commercial shark fishery; taken by recreational anglers (Ref. 4332). Made into fish biltong or jerky (Ref. 12484). Angling record 32.5 kg (Ref. 12484). Also Ref. 244, 5485.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Compagno, L.J.V., D.A. Ebert and M.J. Smale, 1989
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Requin-hâ, Cazón, Акула суповая (=галеус), ... more

Classification / Names Nombres comunes | Sinónimos | Catalog of Fishes(Género, Especie) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranquios (tiburones y rayas) (sharks and rays) > Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks) > Triakidae (Houndsharks) > Galeorhininae
Etymology: Galeorhinus: galeo, probably based on G. galeus (see below); rhinus, an ancient name for sharks, from rhine (Gr.), rasp, alluding to their rasp-like skin. (See ETYFish); galeus: From galeos, a small shark or dogfish per Aristotle (sometimes translated as weasel), possibly referring to the pointed snouts, swift movements and/or rapacious feeding behavior of smaller predatory sharks1. (See ETYFish).
More on author: Linnaeus.

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

marino bentopelágico; oceanodromo (Ref. 51243); rango de profundidad 0 - 1100 m (Ref. 26346), usually 2 - 471 m (Ref. 43939). Subtropical; 70°N - 58°S, 111°E - 37°E

Distribución Países | Áreas FAO | Ecosistemas | Ocurrencias, apariciones | Point map | Introducciones | Faunafri

World-wide in temperate waters (Ref. 58085). Western Atlantic: southern Brazil to Argentina. Eastern Atlantic: Iceland, Norway, Faeroe Islands, British Isles to the Mediterranean and Senegal; Namibia to South Africa (Western Indian Ocean). Western Pacific: Australia and New Zealand. Eastern Pacific: British Columbia (Canada) to southern Baja California, Gulf of California; Peru and Chile. Questionable records in Ivory Coast, Nigerai, Gabon to Congo Dem Rep and Laysan Is. (Hawaii) (Ref 244).

Length at first maturity / Tamaño / Peso / Age

Maturity: L_m 144.1, range 120 - 185 cm
Max length : 193 cm TL macho / no sexado; (Ref. 40637); 195.0 cm TL (female); common length : 160 cm TL macho / no sexado; (Ref. 9258); peso máximo publicado: 44.7 kg (Ref. 40637); edad máxima reportada: 55 años (Ref. 6871)

Short description Claves de identificación | Morfología | Morfometría

Espinas dorsales (total) : 0; Espinas anales: 0. A large houndshark with a long, pointed snout, a large mouth, and small blade-like teeth; 2nd dorsal about as large as anal fin and terminal caudal lobe as long as rest of fin (Ref. 5578). Greyish above, white below; young with black markings on fins (Ref. 5578).

Mainly demersal on continental and insular shelves, but also on the upper slopes, at depths from near shore to 550 m (Ref. 6871), but has been shown to be pelagic in the open ocean (frequently caught on floating tuna longlines over deep water, and many New Zealand-tagged specimens have been recaptured in Australia) (Ref. 26346). Occurs in small schools that are highly migratory in higher latitudes in their range (Ref. 244). There is pronounced partial segregation by size and sex in some areas (Ref. 244). Feeds on fishes (bottom as well as pelagic species, Ref. 26346), crustaceans, cephalopods, worms, and echinoderms (Ref. 244). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 50449). Targeted for human consumption, liver for squalene oil, fins for soup (Ref. 244); also utilized as fishmeal (Ref. 13563). Marketed fresh, dried-salted, and frozen (Ref. 9987). Adapts well in captivity if carefully captured and handled (Ref. 12951).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproducción | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larva

Ovoviviparous, without a yolk-sac placenta (Ref. 244). Embryos feed solely on yolk (Ref. 50449). 6 to 52 young in a litter (Ref. 26346). Litter size increases with the size of the mother. Embryos reach 30-36 cm TL at birth (Ref. 6080). In the southern waters of Australia, newly born and older juveniles (30-70 cm long) aggregate in 'nursery areas' found in shallow waters.They move to deeper coastal waters to over-winter. The following spring finds most of these young returning to their nursery areas. The older ones, aged 2 years and over move instead to eastern Bass Strait where most of the immature stock are found. The length of an average full-term embryo is 32 cm. Spawning frequency is once every year, ovulation occurring in early summer and parturition is completed by January of the following year. Gestation period lasts for about 12 months (Ref. 6390, 6871).

Main reference Upload your references | Referencias | Coordinador : Compagno, Leonard J.V. | Colaboradores

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)

Critically Endangered (CR) (A2bd); Date assessed: 14 February 2020

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Appendix II: Migratory species conserved through agreements

Threat to humans

Harmless (Ref. 13563)

Human uses

Pesquerías: muy comercial; pesca deportiva: si; Acuario: Acuarios públicos

FAO(pesquerías: producción, species profile; publication : search) | FishSource | Sea Around Us

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 6.7 - 23.2, mean 12.3 (based on 7314 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 1.0000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00479 (0.00363 - 0.00631), b=2.99 (2.91 - 3.07), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).

Nivel trófico (Ref. 69278): 4.3 ±0.1 se; based on diet studies.

Resiliencia (Ref. 120179): Bajo, población duplicada en un tiempo mínimo de 4.5-14 años (rm=0.033; tmax=55; Fec=6-52).

Prior r = 0.06, 95% CL = 0.04 - 0.09, Based on 2 full stock assessments.

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Very high vulnerability (76 of 100).

Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649): High vulnerability (62 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Medium.

Galeorhinus galeus (Linnaeus, 1758)