Humpback smoothhound

Description

The humpback smooth-hound (Mustelus whitneyi) is a houndshark of the family Triakidae.It is found on the continental shelves of the tropical southeast Pacific,from Peru to southern Chile,between latitudes 3° S and 54° S,at depths between 15 and 210 metres (50 and 690 ft).Its conservation status is considered to be "vulnerable" by the IUCNThe humpback smooth-hound is a small shark growing to a length of up to 87 cm (34 in).It has a sturdy body with a moderately long,broad,sharply angled snout and large eyes,set widely apart.The mouth is fairly long and the upper lip furrows are longer than the lower ones.The teeth have a main pointed cusp and sometimes smaller subsidiary ones.The first dorsal fin is approximately triangular and the trailing edge is fringed with bare,dark-coloured collagen rods known as ceratotrichia.The pectoral fins are large and the pelvic fins moderately so.The caudal peduncle is short and the lower lobe of the tail fin is hardly curved in adults.The colour of this shark is plain grey or greyish-brown without any spots or barring