Grey Gummy Shark

About the Grey Gummy Shark

The Grey Gummy Shark, also known as the Australian Grey Smooth-hound, is endemic to Australia and lives in deep shelf waters in the eastern Indian Ocean and the western central Pacific Ocean. It occurs at depths of 100 m to 300 m (328–984 ft) and ranges from Perth in Western Australia northward to waters off Darwin in the Northern Territory.

Biology and Behaviour

Grey gummy sharks have a narrow white tip and thin pale margin on their first dorsal fin, a dusky tip on their second dorsal fin, and a black tip on the end of their caudal lobe. Males reach maturity at 66 cm in length, while females mature at around 83 cm (32.7 in) and can grow to at least 101 cm (39.8 in) fork length (from the snout to the fork of the tail).

Reproduction and Lifespan

There is very little known about the reproduction and lifespan of the Grey Gummy Shark. Their reproduction is viviparous, meaning that embryos develop in the uterus before birth. Females produce litters of approximately 6 to 24 pups, with an average of about 18 pups.

Conservation

The IUCN lists the Grey Gummy Shark as Least Concern. The species is not considered to be facing any major known threats and the population trend is currently stable.

In Western Australia, the Grey Gummy Shark is not targeted and is only a minor component of bycatch in demersal gillnet and longline fisheries. Shark fishing was prohibited north of Steep Point, in Western Australia, in 1993. This fishing closure has created an important refuge for the species.

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Grey Gummy Shark Gallery