Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Squaliformes (Bramble, sleeper and dogfish sharks) > Dalatiidae (Sleeper sharks)
Etymology: Dalatias: Greek, dalos, ou = torch, burning piece of wood (Ref. 45335).

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 37 - 1800 m (Ref. 247), usually 300 - 600 m (Ref. 247). Deep-water, preferred 22°C (Ref. 107945); 72°N - 56°S, 98°W - 153°W

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Western Atlantic: Georges Bank and northern Gulf of Mexico. Eastern Atlantic: Iceland (Ref. 12462), Scotland, and Irish Atlantic slope to Morocco, western Mediterranean, Madeira to Cameroon. Western Indian Ocean: Mozambique and South Africa. Western Pacific: Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. Central Pacific: Hawaii.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ?, range 117 - 159 cm
Max length : 182 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 10717)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0. Moderately sized, short- and blunt-snouted shark with two almost equal-sized dorsal fins; papillose thick lips; small slender-cusped upper teeth and very large lower teeth with erect triangular serrated cusps and distal blades; first dorsal fin on back with its origin behind the pectoral rear tips and its base closer to the pectoral base than the pelvic fins; and caudal fin with the ventral lobe not expanded (Ref. 247). Dark grey-brown to black; trailing edges of fins translucent (Ref. 26346).

Found on outer continental and insular shelves and slopes (Ref. 247). Mainly found on or near the bottom but readily occurs well off the substrate (Ref. 247, 58302). Often pelagic (Ref. 58302). Found singly or in small schools (Ref. 6871). Feeds mainly on deepwater bony fish, but also skates, other sharks, cephalopods and crustaceans (Ref. 5578). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205), with 10-20 young born at 30-42 cm (Ref. 26346). Used for its squalene liver oil, leather and meat, as well as for fishmeal (Ref. 6871).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Ovoviviparous (Ref. 247). 10-20 young born at 30-42 cm (Ref. 26346); 10-16 young born at 30 cm TL (Ref.58048). Distinct pairing with embrace (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Compagno, Leonard J.V. | Collaborators

Compagno, L.J.V., 1984. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 1 - Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/1):1-249. Rome, FAO. (Ref. 247)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Near Threatened (NT)

CITES (Ref. 94142)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial

FAO(fisheries: production; publication : search) | FIRMS (Stock assessments) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items
Food consumption
Ration

Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development

Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance

References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Mass conversion

Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

Download XML

Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Dalatias licha (Bonnaterre, 1788)