Squalus megalops, Shortnose spurdog : fisheries, gamefish

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Squalus megalops (Macleay, 1881)

Shortnose spurdog
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Squalus megalops   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Squalus megalops (Shortnose spurdog)
Squalus megalops
Picture by Gloerfelt-Tarp, T.

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

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Squaliformes (Sleeper and dogfish sharks) > Squalidae (Dogfish sharks)
Etymology: Squalus: Genus name from Latin 'squalus' meaning shark (Ref. 6885, 27436).
More on author: Macleay.

Issue
Junior synonym Squalus acutipinnis Regan, 1908 is considered a valid species in Ref. 109601, 130168.

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

Marine; demersal; depth range 30 - 750 m (Ref. 27121), usually 80 - 300 m (Ref. 57911). Subtropical; 9°C - 23°C (Ref. 57911); 42°N - 60°S, 100°E - 140°W (Ref. 247)

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

Eastern Indian Ocean: previously considered to be an Australian endemic (Ref. 49645). Eastern Atlantic: confirmed to occur in the Mediterranean (Ref. 93472). Dogfishes presently referred to in current literature as Squalus megalops appear to belong to a complex of similar species. Specimens from the different regions still need to be compared carefully (Ref. 6871).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 57.0, range 49 - 57 cm
Max length : 72.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 104718); 89.0 cm TL (female); max. reported age: 32 years (Ref. 93445)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0. A small dogfish with a short, angular snout and a small mouth almost as wide as the snout is long; body without spots; 1st dorsal fin spine over pectoral fins (Ref. 5578). Bronze-grey above, white below; dorsal fins with black tips and white edges but markings inconspicuous in adults (Ref. 5578).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Found on the outer continental shelves and upper slopes, on or near the bottom (Ref. 31367); sublittoral below 130 m (Ref. 11230). Young mostly pelagic off the outer shelves (Ref. 5578). Aggregations by sex are regularly observed (Ref. 6871). Feeds on bony fishes, shrimps and other crustaceans, cephalopods and other elasmobranchs (Ref. 247). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205), with 2 to 4 young in a litter (Ref. 247). Gestation period is 2 years (Ref. 36731). Utilized for human consumption, the flesh most appealing dried salted or smoked (Ref. 6871). Also consumed fresh (Ref. 31367). Minimum depth reported from Ref. 6808.

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

Distinct pairing with embrace (Ref. 205). Ovoviviparous, with 2 to 4 young in a litter. Gestation period is about two years. Size at birth 20-24 cm TL (Ref. 6871).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Compagno, Leonard J.V. | Collaborators

Last, P.R. and J.D. Stevens, 1994. Sharks and rays of Australia. CSIRO, Australia. 513 p. (Ref. 6871)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 02 May 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
FAO - Fisheries: species profile; Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

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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: species profile; 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): 12.8 - 22.8, mean 17.3 °C (based on 216 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00398 (0.00251 - 0.00631), b=3.07 (2.93 - 3.21), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  4.3   ±0.3 se; based on diet studies.
Generation time: 11.7 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 1 growth studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (tmax = 32; Fec=2).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  High to very high vulnerability (68 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Medium.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 19.3 [4.2, 98.9] mg/100g; Iron = 0.683 [0.175, 2.106] mg/100g; Protein = 18.6 [16.7, 20.3] %; Omega3 = 0.389 [0.141, 1.026] g/100g; Selenium = 29 [9, 93] μg/100g; VitaminA = 23.7 [6.0, 99.3] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.605 [0.283, 1.186] mg/100g (wet weight);