Gummy shark
| Gummy shark | |
|---|---|
 |
|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Carcharhiniformes |
| Family: | Triakidae |
| Genus: | Mustelus |
| Species: | M. antarcticus |
| Binomial name | |
| Mustelus antarcticus Günther, 1870 |
|
 |
|
| Distribution of the gummy shark | |
The gummy shark, Mustelus antarcticus, is a shark in the family Triakidae. It is a slender, grey shark with white spots along the body and flat, plate-like teeth for crushing its prey. It has a maximum length of between 157 cm (male) and 175 cm (female). It feeds on crustaceans, marine worms, small fish and cephalopods. It is found in the waters around southern Australia, from Shark Bay in Western Australia to Port Stephens in New South Wales to a depth of 350 m. Reproduction is ovoviviparous.
Gummy shark meat is often marketed as "flake". Their boneless fillets have made them particularly popular within the fish and chip industry throughout Australia. Although gummy sharks have not been overfished, they inhabit many of the same areas as school (snapper) sharks which have, therefore a bycatch quota was established. This means fishers targeting gummy shark can not have an adverse impact on the school shark population.[1] Bag limits for recreational fishers in Victoria apply, a limit of two gummy shark and/or school shark, landed whole or as a carcass. Minimum size for both species is 45 cm measured from the rear-most gill slit to the base of the tail fin.[2]
[edit] References
- Walker (2003). Mustelus antarcticus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- "Mustelus antarcticus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=160249. Retrieved 18 April 2006.
- Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2005). "Mustelus antarcticus" in FishBase. November 2005 version.
- Edgar, Graham J. Australian Marine Life : The Plants and Animals of Temperate Waters. Reed New Holland, 2003.
