Gulper Shark

About the Gulper Shark

The Gulper Shark is a deep-water dogfish with a widespread but patchy distribution across the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Oceans. It lives between 50 m and 1,500 m (164–4,921 ft) below the surface of the ocean, although it is most commonly found between 300 m and 1,100 m (984–3,609 ft).

Biology and Behaviour

Like other species of Gulper Shark, it has large green eyes. It has a long and slender body with dark grey or grey-brown colouration on top and a lighter belly. The species can reach a maximum length of approximately 1.76 m (5.77 ft). Its maximum age is unknown, but a closely related species, the Little Gulper Shark, lives for up to 39 years. Males reach sexual maturity at around 10 years of age and approximately 111 cm (43.7 in) in length. Females mature at 143 cm (56.3 in) and at an estimated age of 16.5 years.

Gulper sharks are known to migrate and may form small groups. These migrations, combined with their deep-water habitat, make them difficult to study and monitor. Their diet is composed mainly of fish, including lanternfish and hake, but they also eat squid and crustaceans.

Reproduction

Gulper sharks are ovoviviparous, meaning that embryos develop inside eggs that hatch within the mother’s body and are nourished by yolk. They have a very long gestation period of approximately two years. Females produce one litter of between 4 and 11 pups, although litters more commonly contain 4 to 6 pups. At birth, pups measure between 30 and 42 cm (11.8–16.5 in) long.

Conservation

The species is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Its global population is estimated to have declined by 50 to 79% over the last 83 years. This decline is associated with fishing pressure and the Gulper Shark’s slow reproductive rate.

Gulper sharks are caught both as bycatch and as target species, and are retained primarily for their high-value liver oil, which is rich in squalene and considered one of the most valuable types of shark liver oil. Gulper sharks are also fished for their meat, but their fins are considered to be of low value. They have also been added to CITES Appendix II, meaning that their international trade requires the appropriate permits.

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Gulper Shark Gallery