Mustelus higmani

Springer & Lowe, 1963


Smalleye smooth-hound
Classification: Elasmobranchii Carcharhiniformes Triakidae

Reference of the original description
Springer, S. & Lowe, R.H. (1963)
A new smooth dogshark, Mustelus higmani, from the Equatorial Atlantic coast of South America. Copeia, 1963(2), 245–251

Image of the original description
Image in copyright.

Types
Mustelus higmani
Holotype: USNM: 156930; Paratype: USNM: 196546; USNM: 187938; USNM: 187723; USNM: 187721; USNM: 187720; USNM: 187698; USNM: 187697; USNM: 187693; USNM: 221724; USNM: 187695;


Description :


Citation: Mustelus higmani Springer & Lowe, 1963: In: Database of modern sharks, rays and chimaeras, www.shark-references.com, World Wide Web electronic publication, Version 03/2024

Please send your images of "Mustelus higmani" to info@shark-references.com

Mustelus higmani Springer & Lowe, 1963, © FAO, www.fish-base.org
Common names
spa Cazón, spa Musola amarilla, spa Viuda, fra \(T\) Emissole ti-yeux, fra \(T\) Emissole tiyeux, eng Smalleye smooth hound, eng Smalleye smooth-hound, por Cação

Short Description
Diagnosis after Compagno, 1984 [517]: Body fairly slender. Head moderately long, prepectoral length 19 to 24% of total length; snout long and sharply angular in lateral view, preoral snout 6.9 to 10.3% of total length, preorbital snout 6.9 to 9.9% of total length; internarial space broad, 2.7 to 3.8% of total length; eyes small, eye length 2.8 to 3.4 times in preorbital snout and 2.2 to 3.4°!0 of total length; interorbital space very broad, 4.5 to 6.3% of total length; mouth moderately long, slightly longer than eye length, 2.3 to 3.6% of total length; upper labial furrows about as long as lowers, upper furrows 0.8 to 1.8% of total length; teeth molariform and asymmetric, with cusp low and blunt or pointed; buccopharyngeal denticles covering anterior half of palate and mouth floor. Interdorsal space 17 to 23% of total length; trailing edges of dorsal fins denticulate, without bare ceratotrichia; first dorsal fairly falcate, its posterior margin nearly vertical from apex, its midbase about equidistant between pectoral and pelvic bases or slightly closer to pectorals; pectoral fins fairly small, length of anterior margins 11 to 14% of total length, width of posterior margin 6.7 to 10% of total length; pelvic fins moderately large, anterior margin length 6.7 to 10% of total length; anal height 2.9 to 4.6% of total length; analcaudal space greater than second dorsal height, 6 to 9.2% of total length; ventral caudal lobe more or less falcate in adults. Crowns of lateral trunk denticles mostly strongly tricuspidate, with longitudinal ridges extending their entire length. Skeleton not hypercalcified in adults; palatoquadrates not subdivided; monospondylous precaudal centra 34 to 39, diplospondylous precaudal centra 43 to 50, precaudal centra 80 to 90. Colour uniform grey or grey-brown, above, light below, no white or dark spots or dark bars. Development viviparous. Size small, adults 43 to 64 cm.

Distribution
Western Atlantic: northern coast of Venezuela southward to Brazil. Source: www.gbif.org

Human uses
fisheries: commercial

Biology
Viviparous, with a yolk-sac placenta [517]. Found on the continental shelf on muddy, sandy and calcareous bottoms. Also occurs in shallow brackish water. Feeds mainly on crustaceans and occasionally on bony fishes, squids, and coelenterates.

Size / Weight / Age
70.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 5217))

Habitat
demersal; brackish; marine; depth range ? - 900 m [13336]

Remarks
shark-references Species-ID=3797;