Chordates • Earth.com

Gummy shark

(Mustelus lenticulatus)

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Description

The gummy shark (Mustelus antarcticus), also known as the Australian smooth hound, flake, sweet william or smooth dog-shark, is a shark in the family Triakidae. These small to medium-sized bottom-dwelling sharks are found mostly in, but are not limited to, the area around the southern seas of Australia and is commonly baited and fished for cuisine because of its taste and market prices. According to a 2021 paper by White, Arunrugstichai & Naylorn (2021), Mustelus walkeri (eastern spotted gummy shark) is the same animal as M. antarcticus. One theory is that M. walkeri is a subpopulation of M. antarcticus. This species is a slender shark with a darker grey top with white spots and a silvery-white underbelly. The gummy shark gets its name from its flat, plate-like teeth which it uses to crush its shelled and non-shelled prey. Male gummy sharks can reach a maximum length of 157 cm (62 in), and females can reach up to 175 cm (69 in). The minimum size of a grown male or female is 45 cm (18 in). At birth, these sharks measure between 30 and 35 cm. Said measurements are taken from the rear-most gill slit to the base of the tail fin. The gummy shark feeds on crustaceans, marine worms, small fish, and cephalopods such as octopus, squid and cuttlefish. It uses its plate-like teeth to help it crush the shells and bodies of its prey for easier consumption. The gummy shark remains on or near the sea beds, and their travel patterns vary on age. Juvenile gummy sharks will travel less than full-grown species. The females tend to travel longer ranges compared to males. Gummy sharks are primarily found to live in sandy areas and will come closer to shores during the night in search of prey. The gummy shark is primarily found living on the southern coast of Australia around Bunbury including but not limited to the island of Tasmania and Bass Straight. Gummy sharks are also found in coastal areas of the Pacific Ocean such as Japan, as well as coastal areas of the Indian Ocean. Gummy sharks are found to be mostly bottom dwellers in the waters around southern Australia, from Shark Bay in Western Australia to Port Stephens in New South Wales, from the surface down to a depth of 350 m (1,150 ft) in moderate-temperature water. The reproduction of the single-sex school gummy sharks is ovoviviparous.

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum:
Class: Elasmobranchii
Order:Carcharhiniformes
Family:Triakidae
Genus:Mustelus
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