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Paragaleus pectoralis (Garman, 1906)

Atlantic weasel shark
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Paragaleus pectoralis   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Paragaleus pectoralis (Atlantic weasel shark)
Paragaleus pectoralis
Picture by FAO

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks) > Hemigaleidae (Weasel sharks)
Etymology: Paragaleus: para (Gr.), near, referring to how its dentition is intermediate between Hemigaleus and the triakid Eugaleus (=Galeorhinus). (See ETYFish);  pectoralis: Latin for pectoral, allusion not explained, possibly referring to its characteristic falciform pectoral fins. (See ETYFish).
More on author: Garman.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; demersal; depth range ? - 100 m (Ref. 5578), usually 30 - 70 m (Ref. 10730). Tropical; 30°N -

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

Eastern Atlantic: Cape Verde and Mauritania to northern Namibia (Ref. 244, 5578); possibly extending north to Morocco. Record from the Northwest Atlantic, specifically in New England, has not been verified even after an extensive survey of the area has been conducted.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 82.5, range 75 - 90 cm
Max length : 140 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5578); common length : 100.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26999)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. A slender weasel shark with a moderately long snout, large eyes, and a short, small mouth with small, serrated upper teeth and erect-cusped lower teeth (Ref. 5578). Light grey or bronze with longitudinal yellow stripes, fins plain; white below (Ref. 5578).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

A very common inshore to offshore shark of the continental shelf occurring at depths of a few meters to slightly over 100 m (Ref. 244). A specialist feeder that prefers cephalopods, also feeds on small bony fishes (Ref. 244). Viviparous (Ref. 50449). Utilized fresh and dried salted for human consumption, and processed into fishmeal (Ref. 244).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Viviparous (with a yolk-sac placenta), with 1 to 4 young per litter. Size at birth about 47 cm (Ref. 244). Distinct pairing with embrace (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | 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 2 - Carcharhiniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/2):251-655. Rome: FAO. (Ref. 244)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Endangered (EN) (A2bd); Date assessed: 04 August 2020

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

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References

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 17.7 - 25.9, mean 19.9 °C (based on 45 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5664   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00363 (0.00147 - 0.00899), b=3.07 (2.86 - 3.28), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  4.3   ±0.64 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Fec=1).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Very high vulnerability (84 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Unknown.