Squaliolus laticaudus, Spined pygmy shark

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Squaliolus laticaudus Smith & Radcliffe, 1912

Spined pygmy shark
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Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
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Squaliolus laticaudus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Squaliolus laticaudus (Spined pygmy shark)
Squaliolus laticaudus
Picture by Fischer, L.G.

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

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Squaliformes (Sleeper and dogfish sharks) > Dalatiidae (Sleeper sharks)
Etymology: Squaliolus: Diminutive of squalus (L.), a sea-fish, usually applied to sharks, referring to small size of S. laticaudus. (See ETYFish);  laticaudus: latus (L.), wide or broad; cauda (L.), tail, referring to its broad (but short) caudal fin. (See ETYFish).
More on authors: Smith & Radcliffe.

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

Marine; bathypelagic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 200 - 1200 m (Ref. 27000). Deep-water; 48°N - 40°S, 180°W - 180°E

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

Nearly circumtropical. Western Atlantic: off Bermuda, southern Brazil, and northern Argentina. Eastern Atlantic: off France and Madeira. Western Indian Ocean: off Somalia. Western Pacific: Japan, Taiwan and Philippines (Ref. 13748), as well as Australia (Ref. 7300).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 18.5, range 17 - 20 cm
Max length : 22.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 247); 25.0 cm TL (female)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0. The spined pygmy shark Squaliolus laticaudus is a very small dogfish (about 25cm) with a large eye (diameter 73-86% of interorbital width), upper margin nearly straight; upper lip without papillae (Ref. 31367, 6871). Color: dark with conspicuously light-margined fins (Ref. 247) . Edge of fins with bright border (Ref. 43998). S. laticaudus is the type species of the genus which has the following distinctive features: fin spine on its first dorsal fin but not on its second dorsal fin; second dorsal fin long-based and low, about twice the length of first dorsal fin base; first dorsal-fin base closer to pectoral fins than to pelvic fins; and caudal fin nearly symmetrical, paddle-shaped, with subterminal notch present; low lateral keels on caudal peduncle . Body cigar-shaped; snout very long, bulbously conical but slightly pointed; mouth ventral; lips thin; teeth strongly different in both jaws, uppers small, narrow and erect cusps, lowers larger, blade-like and semi erect. Tooth rows 22-23/16-21. (Ref. 247, 6871).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

An oceanic, wide-ranging, tropical pelagic species occurring near continental and insular land masses, sometimes over the shelves, but usually over the slopes (Ref. 247). Displays vertical migrations on a diel cycle, seen at the bottom during the day and travels to 200 m at night (Ref. 247). Feeds on deepwater squid, lanternfish, gonostomatids and idiacanthids, and probably follows its prey on their diel migrations (Ref. 247). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205). Has well-developed photophores densely covering the ventral part of the body and sparsely seen on the sides and hardly developed on the dorsal surface (Ref. 247).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Probably ovoviviparous. Twelve mature eggs have been found in a single ovary of a mature female but this does not imply that large litters are produced (Ref. 247). Distinct pairing with embrace (Ref. 205).

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 1 - Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/1):1-249. Rome, FAO. (Ref. 247)

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: of no interest
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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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 - 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 | Zoobank | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 7.1 - 14.6, mean 10 °C (based on 649 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.7520   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00372 (0.00141 - 0.00976), b=3.12 (2.89 - 3.35), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  4.2   ±0.73 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <10).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low vulnerability (15 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 15.1 [2.2, 91.4] mg/100g; Iron = 0.273 [0.062, 1.162] mg/100g; Protein = 19.1 [17.0, 21.3] %; Omega3 = 0.179 [0.048, 0.671] g/100g; Selenium = 8.32 [1.83, 33.05] μg/100g; VitaminA = 95.1 [10.1, 921.0] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.651 [0.261, 1.877] mg/100g (wet weight);