Little Gulper Shark

About the Little Gulper Shark

The Little Gulper shark is a small, deepwater dogfish member of the family Centrophoridae, found in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and the Pacific Ocean.

This species reaches a maximum size of 110 cm TL, with both sexes maturing at around 75 – 89 cm TL. This shark has no anal fin, two dorsal fins with spines, long free rear tips on pectoral fins, darker coloration areas above gills and on dorsal fins, and a notched caudal fin. Reproduction is ovoviviparous, with 1 young per litter. Size at birth ranges between 40 to 50 cm. No more information is available.

The Little Gulper shark is a common bathydemersal, deepwater dogfish found in the continental shelves and upper slopes, on or near the bottom.

The little gulper shark lives in the northern Gulf of Mexico, the eastern Atlantic from Spain south to the Cape of Good Hope, the Mediterranean west of Sicily, the western Indian Ocean around Mozambique, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal around India, and possibly Taiwan. They feed mainly on bony fishes and squid.

The Little Gulper shark has been nominated for listing as a vulnerable species on the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. If listed, the EPBC Act requires that a Recovery Plan is put in place within a five year period.    

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