Short Description
Diagnosis after Heemstra, 1997 [1103]: Ventral lobe of caudal fin not well developed; the ventral lobe angle obtuse (129°-163°). Trailing edges of dorsal fins not frayed. Rear (distal) edge of pectoral and pelvic fins slightly concave. Head moderate, pre-pectoral distance 18-21% TL; inter-orbital distance 4.2- 4.8% TL; pre-oral snout length 6.1-7.3% TL; inter-nostril distance 2.7-3.1 % TL; eye large, orbit diameter 3.2-4.3% TL. Upper-jaw labial folds 1.3-1.7% TL, slightly longer than lower-jaw folds. Teeth wide, asymmetric, with a low rounded cusp and prominent basal ridges (Fig. 11); tooth width about 3 times crown height; tooth counts 60-67/60-61. Denticles lanceolate and/or tridentate with four ridges extending to rear margin of scale. Buccopharyngeal denticles (Fig. 180) confined to a triangular patch at front of palate, front and rear sides of gill arches, posterior margin of pharyngeal pads on fifth gill arch, and a triangular patch at tip of tongue. Upper jaw skeleton comprises a single cartilage on each side. Spiral valve of intestine with seven turns. Diagnostic vertebral numbers are given in Figures 23-25. Head and body immaculate grey dorsally; newborn young and juveniles with sooty smudges on apices of dorsal fins and tip of caudal fin.

Distribution
Western Central Atlantic: known only from the coast of South America between Cape La Vela, Colombia and Rio Caribe, Venezuela.

Biology
Ovoviviparous, embryos feed solely on yolk [733].

Size / Weight / Age
47.8 cm TL (male/unsexed; [1103]); 57.4 cm TL (female)

Habitat
benthopelagic; marine; depth range 71 - 183 m [1103]

Remarks
shark-references Species-ID=3808;