Starspotted Smooth-hound

About the Starspotted Smooth-hound

The starspotted  smooth-hound is found in the Western Pacific from Russia to Vietnam and off Kenya in the Indian Ocean. It is found on mud and sandy substrates at depths up to 360 m.

Males reach to a maximum size of 104 cm and live up to 5-9 years; females go up to 135 cm and live up to 9-17 years. The size at birth is 20-35 cm. They feed on crustaceans. They are viviparous and give birth to a litter of 1-22 pups within a 10-12-month gestation period. The mating takes place during the month of May-July. Females mature at 3-7 years and 59-97 cm; males mature at 2-6 years and 54-92 cm.

This shark is caught in the trawls and longline fisheries. Significant declines have been reported in the Taiwanese waters in the past 10-20 years and have completely disappeared in most of the region, apart from islands off northern Taiwan.

This shark is assessed as Data Deficient as no population information is available. There is a high possibility of it being a threatened species in the future and reassessment should be a priority.

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Starspotted Smooth-hound Gallery