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Somniosus rostratus (Risso, 1827)

Little sleeper shark
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Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
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Somniosus rostratus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Somniosus rostratus (Little sleeper shark)
Somniosus rostratus
Male picture by Cambraia Duarte, P.M.N. (c)ImagDOP

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Squaliformes (Sleeper and dogfish sharks) > Somniosidae (Sleeper sharks)
Etymology: Somniosus: Latin for sleepy, reflecting Lesueur’s surmise that these sharks are slow or sluggish because of their relatively small fins (hence the name sleeper sharks). (See ETYFish);  rostratus: Latin for beaked, referring to its elongated rostrum. (See ETYFish).
More on author: Risso.

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

Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 200 - 1330 m (Ref. 104125). Deep-water; 47°N - 43°S

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

Northeast Atlantic: Madeira, France, and western Mediterranean.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 108.0, range 82 - 134 cm
Max length : 143 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26346); common length : 100.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. )

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Diagnosis: Somniosus rostratus is distinguished from S. longus in having overall length of second dorsal shorter than first dorsal fin 76-88% (vs. almost equal 91-100%); horizontal diameter of eye less than 37% (mean 33%) of length from snout tip to eye (vs. >37, mean 46%); number of tooth rows in upper jaw 53 (vs. 56-57); and spiral valve counts 23 (vs. 26-27) (Ref. 50224).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

A rare species (Ref. 26346) found on outer continental shelves and upper slopes (Ref. 247). Probably feeds on deepwater bottom fishes and invertebrates (Ref. 247). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205), length at birth 21-28 cm TL (Ref. 26346). Utilized as fishmeal and possibly as food fish (Ref. 247).

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

Ovoviviparous (Ref. 247). Young born at 21-28 cm (Ref. 26346). Distinct pairing with embrace (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Yano, K., J.D. Stevens and L.J.V. Compagno, 2004. A review of the systematics of the sleeper shark genus Somniosus with redescriptions of Somniosus (Somniosus) antarcticus and Somniosus (Rhinoscymnus) longus (Squaliformes: Somniosidae). Ichthyol. Res. 51:360-373. (Ref. 50224)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 21 November 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial
FAO - Fisheries: landings; Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
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Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
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Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
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Mass conversions
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BRUVS - Videos
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Visual pigment(s)
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Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetics
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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Fisheries: landings; Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | National databases | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 8.6 - 14.2, mean 13.2 °C (based on 122 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5313   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00168 - 0.00901), b=3.13 (2.94 - 3.32), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  4.2   ±0.4 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Very high vulnerability (86 of 100).
Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649):  Moderate vulnerability (39 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Unknown.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 5.4 [1.0, 29.5] mg/100g; Iron = 0.286 [0.068, 0.948] mg/100g; Protein = 19.4 [17.1, 21.6] %; Omega3 = 0.269 [0.098, 0.861] g/100g; Selenium = 18.7 [5.6, 56.5] μg/100g; VitaminA = 11.3 [2.3, 57.4] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.292 [0.137, 0.565] mg/100g (wet weight);