Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) >
Squaliformes (Sleeper and dogfish sharks) >
Squalidae (Dogfish sharks)
Etymology: Squalus: Genus name from Latin 'squalus' meaning shark (Ref. 6885, 27436); bucephalus: Name from Latin 'bu; meaning large and from Greek 'kephalis' = of the head, referring to its relatively bulky head.
More on authors: Last, Séret & Pogonoski.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; pelagic-oceanic; depth range 448 - 880 m (Ref. 58438). Tropical
Western Pacific: northern Tasman Sea on Norfolk Ridge (Stylaster Seamount), and off New Caledonia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 90.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 58438)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
This large, broad-headed species of the 'megalops-cubensis group' is distinguished by the following set of characters: head width at mouth 12.1-13.5% TL; mouth width 2.2-2.7 times its horizontal prenarial length; direct pre-second dorsal length 3.9-4.0 times the pectoral-fin anterior margin, 2.7 times dorsal caudal margin; preoral length 2.7-3.1 times the horizontal prenarial length, 9.2-10.5% TL; strongly bifurcated anterior nasal flap; low and raked first dorsal fin; exposed bases of dorsal-fin spines are broad, 0.7-0.8% TL; both dorsal fins with short inner margins, first dorsal-fin height 1.4-1.5 times its inner margin length, second dorsal-fin height 0.8-1.0 times its inner margin length; pectoral-fin anterior margin 1.8-2.0 times its inner margin length; preventral caudal margin 1.8-2.2 times the inner margin of pelvic fin; dorsal fins with dark distal portion, posterior margin of free rear tip pale; caudal fin upper posterior margin broadly white, lower lobe with dark base and pale outer half, no caudal bar; flank denticles unicuspid or weakly tricuspid; monospondylous centra 45, precaudal centra 86-89, total centra 113-118 (Ref. 58438).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Distinct pairing with embrace (Ref. 205).
Last, P.R., B. Séret and J.J. Pogonoski, 2007. Squalus bucephalus sp. Nov., a new short-snout spurdog from New Caledonia. p. 23-29. In P.R. Last, W.T. White and J.J. Pogonoski Descriptions of new dogfishes of the genus Squalus (Squaloidea: Squalidae). CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Paper No. 014. 130 p. (Ref. 58438)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of potential interest
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00347 (0.00165 - 0.00730), b=3.09 (2.92 - 3.26), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.3 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): High vulnerability (56 of 100).
